After three and a half seasons with the Twins, Carlos Correa is coming back to the Astros. The Astros and Twins agreed to a deal just hours before the deadline that will see the 30-year-old infielder rejoin the team he started his professional career with.
The Astros’ Return
- SS Carlos Correa (.267/.319/.386, 7 HR and 26 XBH over 93 GP)
The last time Carlos Correa wore an Astros jersey was Game 6 of the 2021 World Series. That season, Correa set career-highs in home runs (26) and bWAR (7.3). However, a lot has happened since then.
Correa took a short-term deal in 2022 with an opt-out after the lockout ended. He hit very well with the Twins that season, as he hit 22 home runs and posted a .834 OPS. The now-30-year-old looked primed to cash in as a free agent in the 2022-23 offseason. However, he had deals with the Giants and Mets nixed due to concerns from physicals.
He re-signed with the Twins later that winter, and the results have been mixed. Correa dealt with plantar fasciitis in both the 2023 and 2024 campaigns. The former Twin was an All-Star in 2024, as he hit .310/.388/.517 (.905 OPS) for Minnesota across 86 games.
The 30-year-old Correa has not been driving the ball with authority compared to past seasons. While the bat speed has been fine and above the league average, Correa has topped off at a significantly higher rate (37.0%) compared to three years ago (29.4%).
Correa has three years left on his existing deal, with the infielder set to make over $30MM in each of those seasons. Additionally, he has four club options that can be guaranteed if he meets certain criteria.
According to reports, Correa will move to third base.
Analysis
The Twins get out of Correa’s contract, although it’s still unknown as of this writing what the return, or how much money, the Astros will eat. Earlier in the week, the New York Times reported that money held up that deal.
Minnesota has a lot of young infielders in its organization. Brooks Lee is a natural shortstop, Luke Keaschall can play second, while 2024 draft picks Kaelen Culpepper and Kyle DeBarge are natural shortstops, as well. And this July, Minnesota drafted Wake Forest infielder Marek Houston. Houston should stick at short.
The move gives the Twins the chance to reset.
As for the Astros, Houston has dealt with a lot of injuries to their core. Yordan Alvarez is on the IL, as is Isaac Paredes. The move for Correa helps now but also gives the team options for their infielder when Paredes come back, even if that’s in 2026.
Paredes has a history of playing second base.
Check out more of our MLB coverage, including a recap of the Cedric Mullins trade.