Carlos Correa Rumors: Giants Front-Runners to Sign SS After Aaron Judge Pursuit

The San Francisco Giants have made shortstop Carlos Correa their "top priority" in free agency, and they are the front-runners to land the highly coveted player, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

"The consensus around the industry is that the Giants are in the driver's seat for Correa, given their financial flexibility and need for a big name," Slusser reported.

The Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox are also considered potential contenders to sign Correa.

Correa spent last season with the Twins, hitting .291 with 22 home runs and an .834 OPS. He played his first seven years with the Houston Astros, earning two All-Star selections, a Gold Glove award and a World Series title in 2017.

In 2021, the shortstop finished fifth in voting for the AL MVP award when he hit .279 with 26 home runs and 92 RBI.

After signing a three-year contract with opt-outs last offseason, Correa is now seeking a long-term deal this winter. Fellow shortstops Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts have already signed 11-year contracts with the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres, respectively.

Correa and Dansby Swanson are the two biggest hitters still available in free agency, putting pressure on teams to close a deal before the top options run out.

The Giants have been looking to make a splash this offseason with a big-name addition, as Maria Guardado of MLB.com reported in November. They were heavily involved in the sweepstakes for Aaron Judge and offered him a contract in the "neighborhood" of $360 million, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Judge, a Northern California native, instead decided to re-sign with the Yankees for the same amount of money.

The Giants are clearly willing to spend, but they have so far been unable to land a top free agent. Correa could change that and improve a roster that went 81-81 last season.