The New York Mets have agreed a sensational deal to sign MLB megastar Carlos Correa to a 12-year contract after a dramatic u-turn from the San Francisco Giants.
In doing so, Steve Cohen's franchise will obliterate a previously-untouched record for spending, with the team's payroll now an estimated $384million (£317m). Add on the luxury tax payments the team will take on, and they'll be paying out a total of $495m (£410m).
That whopping figure is the most any team in Major League Baseball history has ever spent - by a considerable distance. ESPN reports no team has ever come within $150m (£124m) of the $500m (£414m) mark.
Correa had agreed a 13-year contract with the Giants last week worth a reported $350m (£289m), which would have seen the 28-year-old finish his career at Oracle Park.
However, on Monday night the Giants postponed their scheduled press conference to announce Correa, sparking fears there was an issue with the deal. It was later revealed that the team had identified a problem in his medical, and weren't comfortable giving him the contract.
Just hours later, he was a free agent again, and signed a blockbuster deal with the Mets in the middle of the night.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser, the Giants still wanted to negotiate with Correa after cancelling the press conference, but didn't hear back from the shortstop's representatives.
The injury the team had an issue with was apparently an old one from before he entered into the league, and hasn't bothered him during his career since then.
The Mets have made a splash in free agency this winter, with Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga all signing multi-year contracts.
