Bad Bunny reportedly offered to pay Carlos Correa's insurance to play in World Baseball Classic
Houston Astros third baseman Carlos Correa told reporters that Grammy Award-winning artist and Super Bowl halftime performer Bad Bunny offered to cover his insurance so he could play for the Puerto Rican national team.
“It means a lot that he’s that involved,” Correa said. “He tried to do everything possible. I wanted to play and make sure that I was going to go out there and play for Team Puerto Rico in Puerto Rico,” which is hosting pool play. “The fact that he did that means a lot in how much he cares for the country, how much he cares for the fans back home. I’m deeply grateful that he tried that hard.”
After consulting with the Astros and his agent, Scott Boras, Correa declined the offer.
“They all told me it was a bad idea,” Correa said. “They all told me the insurance company that was proposed to me had cases where they didn’t pay players back. Since it was not approved by MLB, not approved by the organization, and not approved by my agent, I couldn’t sign my life away to something that three people I trust are advising me against.”
“Everybody’s putting the work in they need to. At the end of the day, I play for the Houston Astros and my obligations are to this team and some things are out of your control. You can’t do anything with that.”
In January, Correa told reporters that he would miss the World Baseball Classic after being denied coverage through National Financial Partners. The 31-year-old also didn’t want to risk his regular-season salary if he missed any games due to injuries sustained in the World Baseball Classic. Correa is set to make $31 million next season and has battled injuries in the past.
The New York Mets and San Francisco Giants voided $300 million agreements with Correa in 2022 due to concerns over his ankle. Edwin Díaz and José Altuve also suffered significant injuries during the World Baseball Classic, making it more difficult to secure insurance.
All World Baseball Classic participants on an MLB 40-man roster must undergo an insurance evaluation process. This process involves an insurer agreed upon by MLB and the players' union, which reviews a player's injury history to determine if coverage will be provided. If the insurer decides a player is uninsurable, then, unless the team makes an exception, the player's contract is not guaranteed should an injury occur during the event.
Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rico native, also agreed to cover New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor’s insurance after he was denied coverage.