BostonCarlos Correa refused to let any other team invoke his no-trade clause.
However, Correa agreed to a contract to return to Houston, where he still owned the house from his previous stint with the Astros, when the Twins informed him that they would be rebuilding for the remainder of the season and perhaps beyond.
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Before playing his Astros game against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night, the 2017 World Series winner remarked, “My wife hates the cold.” Our family and friends remain in Houston, and we kept the house there as a place to return to. Since we reside there, it functions flawlessly.
In this game, you never want to cause resentment. “You can never predict how things will turn out,” Correa added. When I left Minnesota, my connection was just as great here in Houston. You can tell that I’m back now.
As a member of the homegrown core that turned the team from a laughingstock to a consistent contender, Correa, the top pick in the 2012 amateur draft and the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year, was adored in Houston. During his seven years with the Astros, he was named to the All-Star team twice and led the team to its first World Series, three AL pennants, and six postseason trips.
In 2022, he signed a free agent contract with Minnesota, and in 2023, he was named to another All-Star squad but only made one playoff appearance. The Twins sold off anything of worth on Thursday in order to focus on the future, as they are now in ninth place in the fight for three wild-card places and fourth in the AL Central.
“I realized that the organization’s direction was not what I was there for after speaking with the front office in Minnesota,” Correa stated. At that point, we decided that it would be best for everyone if we just made this exchange.
In exchange for Correa, Houston agreed to pay $33 million of the more than $100 million left on his deal and transferred minor-league pitcher Matt Mikulski to Minnesota.
Second baseman Jose Altuve, a holdover from Correa’s previous time in Houston, said, “I never gave that much thought until I saw the rumors and I texted him and he said it was real.” At that point, our crew began to get enthusiastic about it.
Outfielder Jessie S. Sanchez and minor leaguers Chase Jaworsky and Esmil Valencia were also acquired by the Astros, who were five games ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the AL West at the time of the trade deadline. On Friday night against the Red Sox, Sanchez was batting third and in left field.
Correa was batting cleanup at third. In his major league career, he had played 1,186 games at shortstop and none at third base, but he did play some third base for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
Before taking grounders during batting practice, Correa stated, “I’m going to be putting a lot of work at third base and getting to know the position.” I became used to playing shortstop, and it will be an enjoyable challenge.
When the news about Correa broke, Astros manager Joe Espada claimed he was at the movies with his kids on Thursday afternoon.
“It was a really good off day, even though a lot happened,” Espada added. I didn’t see the entire film. It didn’t bother me that the phone kept ringing. It was over in a flash. In only a few minutes, we added all of those players. And I was thrilled. Extremely pleased with the result.
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