Houston Astros third baseman Carlos Correa told reporters that Grammy Award-winning artist and Super Bowl halftime performer Bad Bunny is willing to insure him so he can play for the Puerto Rican national team.
“His involvement is huge,” Correa said. “He did everything he could. I wanted to compete and make sure I could go there and play for Puerto Rico,” said Puerto Rico, which is hosting a pool tournament. “The fact that he did that means how much he cares about this country and how much he cares about his fans back home. I’m very grateful to him for trying so hard.”
After consulting with the Astros and their agent, Scott Boras, Correa declined the offer.
“They all told me it was a bad idea,” Correa said. “They all told me that the insurance companies they recommended to me had a history of not paying players. Since it wasn’t approved by Major League Baseball, it wasn’t approved by the organization, and it wasn’t approved by my agent, I couldn’t put my life in the hands of three people I trusted advising me against something.”
“Everybody is putting in the work they need to do. At the end of the day, I play for the Houston Astros, I have an obligation to this team, and there are some things you can’t control. There’s nothing you can do about it.”
In January, Correa told reporters he would miss the World Baseball Classic after National Financial Partners declined coverage. The 31-year-old also didn’t want to risk his regular-season salary by missing any games due to an injury in the World Baseball Classic. Correa is expected to earn $31 million next season and has battled injuries in the past.
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The New York Mets and San Francisco Giants canceled Correa’s $300 million deal in 2022 due to concerns about Correa’s ankle. Edwin Díaz and José Altuve also suffered serious injuries during the World Baseball Classic, making it more difficult to obtain insurance.
All World Baseball Classic participants on MLB’s 40-man roster are required to undergo an insurance evaluation process. The process involves an insurance company agreed upon by Major League Baseball and the players union, which reviews a player’s injury history to determine whether to offer coverage. If an insurance company determines that a player is not insurable, then, unless the team makes an exception, the player’s contract will not be covered if an injury occurs during the event.
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Puerto Rican Bad Bunny also agreed to cover New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor after being denied coverage.
