Chicago Cubs could be out on Carlos Correa after agent change

With Major League Baseball still in a lockout, the Chicago Cubs have been forced to put their off-season plans on hold. In the hours leading up to the lockout on Wednesday, December 2, the Cubs made their biggest off-season of the winter by signing free-agent pitcher Marcus Stroman.

The Cubs’ decision to open their wallet and spend on Stroman seemingly indicated that the team was ready to accelerate their retooling.

The change of mindset for the Cubs opened new possibilities for what the Cubs could do this off-season. In the hours after the Stroman signing, reports had the Cubs being interested in free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa.

For a team that has a question mark at the shortstop position and several holes within their offensive lineup, Correa seemingly checked all the boxes for the Cubs. Correa, 27, is coming off another stellar season with the Houston Astros.

Correa compiled a slash line of .279/.366/.486/.850 last season to go along with 26 home runs and 92 RBIs. Looking beyond the offensive numbers, Correa is considered to be one of the better defensive shortstops in all of Major League baseball.

Correa would be the perfect acquisition for the Cubs. There was only one exception at the time that the rumors first surfaced and that is the term. Reports suggested that the Cubs were only seeking a 7-year deal for Correa and were unwilling to reach 10 years on a potential contract.

Since then, the rumors have come to a cease as teams are unable to negotiate with free agent Major League Baseball players during the lockout.

Correa, however, has made a move that may have a dramatic impact on the Cubs’ chances of signing him. Earlier this week, it was reported that Correa has hired Scott Boras to represent him as his agent. Exit stage left for the Chicago Cubs.

Carlos Correa might be out on the Chicago Cubs now that his agent changed.

Boras and the Cubs have a strained relationship and it centers around how the organization treated former National League MVP Kris Bryant. Boras filed a grievance against the Cubs after he accused them of manipulating the MLB Service Time rules.

The Cubs eventually won that grievance but Boras has not let up in his public attack on the Cubs. As recently as 2020, Boras took aim at Cubs’ chairman Tom Ricketts over the team not sharing its increased value with the players.

"“Throughout this process, they will be able to claim that they never had any profits because those profits went to pay off their loans,” Boras wrote. “However, the end result is that the Ricketts will own improved assets that significantly increases the value of the Cubs — value that is not shared with the players.”"

There is clearly no love lost between the Cubs and Boras. Now that Boras represents Correa, it seems only likely that the agent will have an agenda against the Cubs. Ultimately Correa’s next team will be a decision made by Correa himself as players like to insist they have control over their future and not their agent.

That is the same sentiment that Bryant shared during his final season with Cubs when he did not rule out a return to Chicago. however, with Bryant now being a free agent, there has been no consideration of a return for the third baseman. Correa does check all the boxes for the Chicago Cubs but unfortunately, the hiring of Boras checks him out of the Chicago Cubs’ plans.