Are Giants falling off and joining Dodgers at back of Carlos Correa chase?

The moment Xander Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million deal with the Padres late Wednesday, Carlos Correa’s eyes lit up and haven’t been extinguished yet.

Younger and a more complete player than Bogaerts, the ex-Astros shortstop should receive a contract of similar length with more guaranteed money in this suddenly-remarkable economic climate.

For a brief moment in time Tuesday night, there was a world in which the San Francisco Giants reignited their rivalry with the Dodgers (and Pads) by signing hometown hero Aaron Judge and Correa, a rumored pairing thanks to newly-minted MLB insider Carlos Baerga. Even if Judge spurned them, expectations were the team would pivot almost immediately to Correa (and likely an outfielder like Brandon Nimmo, too).

Then, in sequence:

• Arson Judge went to San Francisco, while Aaron Judge chose New York
• Bogaerts signed in SD
• Nimmo went to the New York Mets for eight years
• Mitch Haniger stood, lonesome, in the Giants’ outfield

Now, the only options remaining for the Giants are signing Carlos Rodón, which would be equivalent to running it back, or signing either Correa or Dansby Swanson (with Correa being the better player, by any metric). Easy. Blank check. Cut, print it … right?

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney on Friday afternoon (on San Francisco radio!), the Giants “haven’t really gotten too deeply into the Correa conversations yet, in terms of dollars.” Ahead of San Francisco? The Cubs and Correa’s old team, the Twins. The Red Sox have a hole at the shortstop position now.  Olney’s even watching the Yankees, all of a sudden, as he’s picking up “vibes” that they intend to make a massive move.

Could the Giants really whiff on Correa? Are they really all the way at the back of the pack next to the Dodgers, who actively opted out to reset the tax and to stop fans from throwing pretzels in anger? Bizarre. Outright bizarre.

Giants falling back towards Dodgers in Carlos Correa rumor mill

This was supposed to be it. This was supposed to be the offseason where the Giants declared that they were going to usurp Andrew Friedman’s throne, flung into the stratosphere by ex-Dodgers lieutenants.

Instead, it’s the Padres offering their “stupid money” to every free agent (including Judge) until one of them bit. It’s the Yankees calculating something major, leading Olney to speculate and party like it’s 2009. And it’s the Giants curling up in a ball alongside the Dodgers, who aren’t even really trying.

San Francisco could still make a play for Rodón. They could about-face and go full bore after Correa. But it sounds like they’ll either maintain the status quo or take a step back in what was supposed to be an offseason of rejuvenation.

That’s massive news for the Dodgers, who weren’t even in the race and have already won.

Dodgers get last laugh over Padres getting owned by Trea Turner, Aaron Judge

Trea Turner left the Los Angeles Dodgers and somehow gave LA fans a reason to laugh at the San Diego Padres yet again. It never gets old.