In conducting his due diligence for free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa, agent Scott Boras contacted perhaps half the major-league clubs. One of them was particularly intriguing, if not for 2022, then perhaps in 2023 if Correa opts out of his new deal with the Minnesota Twins.
That team was the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves.
The conversations between Boras and the Braves never advanced to an offer, sources said. But at one point the agent floated to the Braves the same terms Correa received from the Twins, pending a physical — three years, $105.3 million, with opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.
The Braves, under general manager Alex Anthopoulos, do not grant opt-outs or no-trade clauses. They have won four straight division titles with Dansby Swanson as their shortstop. And they were focused on adding a reliever before the Correa sweepstakes reached a dramatic conclusion early Saturday morning, discussing a trade with the White Sox for Craig Kimbrel, then agreeing with Kenley Jansen on a one-year, $16 million free-agent contract late Friday night.
Next offseason, however, might be a different story. Swanson is eligible for free agency, and is represented by the same agency that represents Freeman, Excel Sports Management. The tension that surfaced between Excel and the Braves during the
