Carlos Correa To Undergo Season-Ending Ankle Surgery
The hits keep coming for the Astros. Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports that third baseman/shortstop Carlos Correa will require season-ending surgery to repair a left ankle injury. Correa was scratched from last night’s game and subsequently reported to have suffered a potentially major ankle injury. He was in the clubhouse today on crutches.
Correa himself told reporters in Houston that he suffered a torn tendon in his left ankle (video link via McTaggart). The requisite surgery to repair the injury will sideline him for the next six to eight months. (Notably, that’s not the ankle that caused enough medical concern to scuttle a pair of major free agent deals a few offseasons back.) As Correa explains, it was a freak incident:
“I was hitting in the cage — normal day, feeling great. I went through my whole routine, took a swing, and felt a pop. It just completely snapped on me, and then I fell to the ground, couldn’t put weight on it. Just a normal swing, but I felt a loud pop. I heard it. I felt it. I knew right away something was wrong.”
With Correa’s season over, the Astros will entrust shortstop to Nick Allen and Braden Shewmake for the time being. Both are light-hitting defensive specialists, though Shewmake took Shohei Ohtani deep for a go-ahead home run last night. Star shortstop Jeremy Peña is on the mend from a hamstring strain and will reclaim everyday shortstop work once healthy. Peña’s return would have pushed Correa back to third base, but the hot corner will now be manned by Isaac Paredes moving forward, with a resurgent Christian Walker at first base, Jose Altuve at second base and Yordan Alvarez at designated hitter.
Correa is the latest in a dizzying line of major Astros injuries. He joins not only Peña but Hunter Brown (shoulder strain), Josh Hader (biceps tendinitis), Yainer Diaz (oblique strain), Jake Meyers (oblique strain), Tatsuya Imai (arm fatigue), Cristian Javier (shoulder strain), Joey Loperfido (quad strain) and Taylor Trammell (groin strain) as Astros to suffer new injuries this season. The ‘Stros are also still without pitchers Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski and Brandon Walter, all three of whom underwent UCL surgery during the 2025 season.
Suffice it to say, the 2026 season hasn’t gone according to plan. Houston’s 15-22 record is the fifth-worst in Major League Baseball. Long-term absences for key players like Correa, Brown, Hader and Peña have conspired to dig an early hole from which they’ll be hard-pressed to climb out. The pitching, in particular, has been egregiously bad. Houston not only ranks last in the majors with a team-wide 5.65 ERA — they’re 64 points north of the 29th-ranked D-backs, who sit at a collective 5.01. The bullpen’s 6.20 ERA is the highest in MLB by nearly a full run over the 29th-ranked Angels (5.35). The rotation’s 5.13 ERA ranks 29th, narrowly leading Arizona (5.20).
The 2026 trade deadline is still just under three months away, but the mountain of injuries and a dismal pitching performance thus far makes it hard to envision the ‘Stros recovering — even with Alvarez and Walker combining to create one of the more formidable lineup duos in the game. The Astros will face some tough decisions at this year’s deadline, due not only to the current state of affairs but also an increasingly concerning long-term outlook that doesn’t create much optimism.
[Related: The Astros’ Ominous Long-Term Outlook]
As for Correa, he’s still signed for another two seasons beyond the current year. He’ll earn $30.5MM in 2027 and $30MM in 2028, though the Twins are paying $10MM per year (2026-28) as part of the trade that sent Correa and more than $70MM of his remaining contract back to Houston. His six-year, $200MM deal also contains a quartet of vesting club options valued at $25MM, $20MM, $15MM and $10MM, spanning the 2029-32 seasons. Those options can vest based on the total plate appearances Correa logs in the immediately preceding season.
Carlos Correa Believed To Have Suffered Significant Left Ankle Injury
Carlos Correa is believed to have suffered a significant left ankle injury, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. He’ll visit a foot specialist tomorrow to narrow down a diagnosis and recovery timeline. McTaggart writes that he’ll be out indefinitely and could miss weeks or potentially months.
Correa was injured while taking batting practice before Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers. The Astros scratched him, moving Nick Allen from third base to shortstop while drawing utility infielder Braden Shewmake into the lineup at the hot corner. Shewmake wound up hitting a solo home run off Shohei Ohtani that proved the difference in a 2-1 Houston win.
It’s the second consecutive day in which the Astros lost a key player during pregame batting practice. Catcher Yainer Diaz strained his oblique while warming up on Monday and is also going to miss some time. He went on the injured list on Tuesday morning.
The Astros will presumably provide more information on Correa within the next few days. The three-time All-Star has battled injuries in both feet over the past few years. Plantar fasciitis and a muscle strain in his left foot hobbled him in 2023. He missed most of the second half of the ’24 season with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
Injury concerns famously scuttled two of Correa’s agreements during his 2022-23 free agent trip: both a $350MM deal with the Giants and a subsequent $315MM agreement with the Mets. Those were both related to team medical personnel having concerns about Correa’s right ankle, not the one which he injured tonight.
That’s of little solace to a Houston team dealing with yet another significant injury. Correa becomes their fourth regular position player — alongside Diaz, Jeremy Peña and Jake Meyers — on the injured list. They’re also without starting pitchers Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier and Tatsuya Imai plus closer Josh Hader.
Peña, down since April 12 with a right hamstring strain, could start a minor league rehab assignment this week. Correa had been the regular shortstop in his absence. Allen, a light-hitting defensive specialist, will man the position in the interim. Losing Correa means the Astros will stick with Isaac Paredes as the everyday third baseman. Christian Walker is enjoying a resurgent season at first base, while Yordan Alvarez is mostly at designated hitter.
The infield depth, at least once Peña returns, is the only silver lining. Houston unsuccessfully tried to move Paredes or Walker over the offseason to alleviate the logjam, but they essentially haven’t been at full health for the entire season. Even before the hamstring injury, Peña had battled a fingertip fracture on his right hand that he suffered during the World Baseball Classic.
Houston reacquired Correa from the Twins last summer, taking on a little over $70MM on the remaining three years of his contract. He hit .290/.355/.430 over 51 games down the stretch and was out to a .279/.369/.418 start to this season. Although he’s not the power threat he was at his peak, Correa remains an above-average hitter and quality defender at either position on the left side of the infield when healthy.
Poll: What Can The Astros Expect From Carlos Correa This Year?
It wasn’t too long ago that Carlos Correa was a consensus pick as one of the best shortstops in baseball. He entered the 2023 season as a career 130 wRC+ hitter who appeared to be on something close to a Hall of Fame trajectory. A lot has changed for him since the 2022-23 offseason, however. Now that he’s been reunited with the Astros, he figures to be one of the most important players to the organization as they look to get back into the playoffs. What can they actually expect from the three-time All-Star?
While the first several years of Correa’s career saw him post that aforementioned 130 wRC+ with strong enough defense at shortstop to average around four fWAR per year despite occasional struggles to stay on the field, that’s changed since he signed his second contract in Minnesota. From 2023 to ’25, Correa hit just .266/.338/.428 (113 wRC+). That would still be star level production for an elite defensive shortstop who plays 150-plus games per year, but that’s not who Correa is anymore. He took a step back to the point of being more of an average to above-average shortstop defensively (+1 Outs Above Average at shortstop from 2022 to ’25) and moved to third base upon returning to Houston last summer.
Staying on the field has become increasingly challenging as well. Plantar fasciitis in both feet has cost Correa significant time over the past few years, and he’s taken additional trips to the injured list thanks to oblique issues and a concussion. All that left him to appear in just 365 games over the last three years. If he continues averaging just over 120 games a season as a third baseman and doesn’t see a big uptick in his defensive value, it will be hard for him to maintain star-level production without delivering more consistent offense. The 154 wRC+ he posted during his 86-game 2024 season would be more than enough. The 106 wRC+ he posted in 144 games last year wouldn’t cut it.
It should be noted that with the Twins paying $10MM of Correa’s salary in each of the next three years, Correa doesn’t necessarily need to produce like a star to be a valuable asset. Even a wRC+ in the 115 range, similar to what he’s posted over the last three years, would likely be enough to mostly justify the $62MM the Astros are set to pay him over the next three seasons. Still, an Astros club that is waiting for players like Cam Smith and Brice Matthews to break out while watching veterans like Jose Altuve and Christian Walker start to decline will need everything it can get from Correa as they look to make their way back into the postseason.
The early signs this year are positive. Through seven games, Correa has identical 10.0% strikeout and walk rates with a .296/.367/.444 (133 wRC+) slash line. A sample size that small is mostly meaningless, but if he can produce those sorts of numbers across 400+ plate appearances he’ll be one of Houston’s biggest assets this year. His underlying numbers from recent seasons don’t quite offer that level of optimism, but do indicate that he’s been better than the 2025 season might otherwise indicate.
Correa’s xwOBA over the last three seasons was .339, which is similar to the .338 he posted in that same stat last year. Players who posted a wOBA in that range last year include Wyatt Langford, Gunnar Henderson, and Spencer Torkelson. Looking at fellow third basemen, Manny Machado posted a .341 while Matt Chapman posted a .336. That would be good company for Correa to keep, especially if his defensive metrics at third base tick up from where they were last year (+2 OAA) with additional exposure to the position. There’s reason to believe he can get there; Correa slashed .290/.355/.430 with a wRC+ of 122 and a wOBA of .344 in 51 games after being traded back to Houston.
How do MLBTR readers think Correa will fare in his first full year as an Astro since 2021? Will he post middling numbers like he did last year, return to the form he showed earlier in his career, or fall somewhere in the middle? Have your say in the poll below:
How effective will Carlos Correa be for the Astros in 2026?
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Correa will play closer to his production after being traded last year. (122 wRC+) 45% (696)
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Correa will turn in a disappointing season similar to last year. (106 wRC+) 44% (677)
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Correa will return to form fully and perform at the level he did earlier in his career (130 wRC+ or more) 11% (168)
Total votes: 1,541
Jeremy Pena Dealing With Oblique Strain
Imaging has revealed a left oblique strain for Jeremy Pena, the shortstop told reporters on Thursday. Chandler Rome of The Athletic was among those to relay the update. Pena had been out of the lineup for the past four games. He was initially in Sunday’s starting nine before being scratched due to the injury. Houston was swept at home by Seattle and has dropped the first two games of the series against the Athletics.
Just a few days after GM Dana Brown said Pena’s oblique injury “could be just a two-day thing,” Pena is now facing what could be an extended absence. While no roster move has been made regarding Pena, oblique injury timelines are typically measured in weeks, not days. It’s the second time this season that Pena has dealt with a left side issue, as he missed 27 games with a broken left rib.
It’s brutal news for a Houston team that just lost Yordan Alvarez to an ankle sprain. The Astros ceded their spot atop the AL West over the weekend and are now in danger of missing the postseason altogether. They entered Thursday’s action one game behind the Tigers for the final AL Wild Card spot. Given that the season is hanging by a thread, perhaps there would be some temptation to put Pena out there even when he’s not 100%. However, they are also doing that with Isaac Paredes, who was rushed back from a hamstring injury and is using the designated hitter spot at the moment.
The oblique injury could cut short a breakout 2025 campaign for Pena. The 28-year-old posted a healthy 135 wRC+ while slashing .304/.363/.477. He matched a career high with 20 steals. Pena’s 17 home runs fell short of the 22 he hit as a rookie, but he exceeded his total from 2024 in 107 fewer plate appearances. It was quite the bounce-back season after Pena put up below league-average offensive numbers the past two seasons. He equaled his career-best strikeout rate from 2024 at 17.1%, while pushing his hard-hit rate up over 40% for the first time, per Statcast. Pena was able to combine the improved plate discipline from 2024 with the power he showed in his debut MLB season, turning him into one of Houston’s most potent offensive threats.
The Astros have turned to Mauricio Dubon at shortstop for three of the four games without Pena. Carlos Correa slid over from third base to cover the spot on Wednesday. He certainly has plenty of experience playing up the middle for Houston. The versatile Ramon Urias is also an option at shortstop, though he hasn’t appeared in a big-league game at the position since 2022. It’s hard to imagine any of the potential replacements matching Pena’s offensive prowess, but Dubon is at least a viable defensive fit. While Pena had an excellent defensive season, ranking seventh among shortstops in Outs Above Average, Dubon is actually eighth on that list.
MLBTR Podcast: Sifting Through The Trade Deadline Deals
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams and Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to go over the various deadline dealings, including…
- The Padres acquiring Mason Miller, JP Sears, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Laureano, Nestor Cortes, Freddy Fermin and Will Wagner, while not trading Dylan Cease nor Robert Suarez (1:20)
- The Athletics sending out Miller and Sears, getting a pile of prospects, headlined by Leo De Vries (25:20)
- The Twins trading a bunch of rentals but also Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland and Carlos Correa (31:50)
- The Astros taking on Correa despite previously trying to avoid the competitive balance tax (50:05)
- The Phillies’ deadline (58:25)
- The Mariners acquiring Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez from the Diamondbacks (1:00:40)
- The Diamondbacks trading Merrill Kelly but not Zac Gallen (1:07:45)
- The Rangers’ deadline (1:16:00)
- The Mets acquiring various relievers, including Tyler Rogers from the Giants (1:19:05)
- The Yankees acquiring Camilo Doval, David Bednar and Jake Bird (1:25:45)
- The Pirates holding several trade candidates but they did trade Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Reds (1:35:15)
- The Blue Jays acquiring Shane Bieber and Varland (1:43:40)
- The Red Sox acquiring Dustin May from the Dodgers (1:54:20)
- The underwhelming deadlines of the Cubs and Tigers (1:59:40)
Check out our past episodes!
- Megapod Trade Deadline Preview – listen here
- David Robertson, Trade Chips For The O’s and A’s, And What The Rangers Could Do – listen here
- Rays’ Ownership, The Phillies Target Bullpen Help, And Bubble Teams – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Chadd Cady, Imagn Images
Astros, Twins Reportedly Discussed Christian Walker In Carlos Correa Trade
5:17PM: Nightengale clarified his earlier report, saying that it was the Twins who first floated Walker’s name and the Astros who passed on moving the first baseman.
2:56PM: The Astros and Twins pulled off a shocking move in the final hours before the deadline that brought three-time All-Star infielder Carlos Correa back home to the team that he spent the first seven seasons of his career with. The deal sent Correa to Houston in exchange for pitching prospect Matt Mikulski, with the Twins retaining $33MM of the $103.4MM remaining on Correa’s contract. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale provided additional details on the Correa negotiations this morning.
Most notably, Nightengale writes that the sides talked about including veteran first baseman Christian Walker as part of the return headed to Minnesota in exchange for Correa’s services. He adds that while the Twins “had the opportunity” to acquire Walker as part of the deal, they passed on taking the final two years and $40MM of his contract on. That’s not exactly a shocking decision. Given that Mikulski is a 26-year-old who has not yet even reached the Double-A level, it’s fair to view the Correa deal as a pure salary dump for Minnesota. Previous reporting has indicated that the Twins are more than $400MM in debt, and Nightengale writes that the club has lost $40MM this year.
That would make adding a larger contract like that of Walker counterproductive in most scenarios. Perhaps there was a version of the deal where the Twins retained less of Correa’s salary while taking on Walker’s contract, but given his mediocre 2025 campaign (96 wRC+, 0.6 fWAR) and the fact that he’s already 34 years old it’s understandable that the Twins wouldn’t be too interested in adding him at the beginning of a rebuild that might not end until Walker has already hit free agency.
There’s at least an argument to be made that he would’ve been a worthwhile addition to the club based on their lack of a long-term solution at the position, however. Kody Clemens is currently serving as the club’s first baseman and has blasted 12 homers in 65 games since landing in Minnesota, but is a career 82 wRC+ hitter in 222 big league games who seems unlikely to sustain that sort of production. Edouard Julien and Jose Miranda are both capable of playing the position and have past big league success but poor performance has relegated them to the minors for much of the year.
That could make the veteran consistency Walker could provide quite attractive in theory, especially after the loss of Correa and others from the clubhouse could leave a dearth of veteran leadership in the clubhouse outside of franchise face Byron Buxton. On the other hand, Walker lacks much upside; even his best seasons with the Diamondbacks saw him peak at a wRC+ of around 120, and the Twins could likely find a younger, cheaper alternative who has more of a chance to develop into a middle-of-the-order force if they were interested in doing so this offseason.
While the Twins may not have been a fit for Walker’s services, Nightengale suggests that the veteran might get shopped by the Astros this winter in a bid to make room for infielder Isaac Paredes as first base next year. That’s a sensible assumption based on the composition of the club’s roster. While the idea of Paredes moving to second was briefly floated last offseason, there’s been a great deal of skepticism since then about his viability as a defender at third base. Yordan Alvarez must be penciled in as the club’s DH even after a 2025 season that has been mostly lost to injury, and with a former Gold Glove shortstop in Correa who’s eager to move to third base in deference to fellow Gold Glove shortstop Jeremy Pena there isn’t room for Paredes on the left side of the infield anymore.
At the same time, Paredes’s bat is much too important to lose from the lineup. The two-time All-Star has hit an impressive .259/.359/.470 with 19 homers, 15 doubles, and triple in 96 games for the Astros this year. The third baseman is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025 season at this point, so fitting him into the lineup is not a concern in the short-term. First base seems like by far the most logical fit the slugger for the 2026 season, however. Paredes is under team control through the end of the 2027 season, so he’ll need to find a new long-term home in Houston with Correa set to take over the hot corner.
That will likely make Walker expendable this offseason. He’s certainly not had the season either side was hoping for when he signed with the Astros on a three-year, $60MM deal this past offseason. Back in June, MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk wrote about the lackluster start Walker had to his Astros career. He’s begun to turn things around since then, with a strong .288/.352/.466 (129 wRC+) slash line in 186 plate appearances since that article was published, but the concerns discussed in that piece still ring true. Walker is an aging, pricey veteran on a multi-year contract who has begun to show signs of decline.
It’s not the easiest profile to find a suitor for, but perhaps there will be a team in need of help at first base this winter with whom the club can work out a trade—particularly if they’re willing to pay down some of Walker’s remaining salary. The veteran’s play over the season’s final two months and into the postseason figures to have a major influence over how feasible an offseason trade will end up being and how much money, if any, the Astros would have to retain in order to move him.
If Houston’s front office doesn’t find an offer they deem acceptable for Walker, there are other avenues to working out the infield logjam, though each presents some issues. Perhaps Paredes could see some time at second base despite defensive questions. It’s possible that Walker could get some playing time at DH on days Alvarez plays the outfield, with Jose Altuve at second base. A trade of Paredes could even theoretically be considered, especially if a similarly well-regarded and controllable outfielder was available in return. As the Astros demonstrated for Jose Abreu, they’re also not opposed to simply cutting ties with a struggling veteran who no longer fits the club’s needs, though Walker would surely need to take an extreme turn for the worse in order for that option to be on the table.
Astros Announce Several Roster Moves
The Astros announced a lengthy slate of post-deadline moves Friday. Houston reinstated shortstop Jeremy Pena from the injured list and designated infielder Zack Short for assignment. The Astros also activated newly reacquired Carlos Correa and fellow trade acquisitions Jesus Sanchez and Ramon Urias, adding all three to the active roster.
In corresponding roster moves, Infield prospect Brice Matthews and outfield prospect Jacob Melton were optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land. The ‘Stros also recalled righty Nick Hernandez to take the roster spot of righty Ryan Gusto, who was traded to the Marlins in the Sanchez deal. Finally, right-hander Nick Robertson was outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers. He’d been designated for assignment earlier in the week.
Pena wound up missing more than a month due to a fracture in his ribcage. He was in the midst of a breakout, MVP-caliber season prior to landing on the injured list. The 27-year-old has slashed .322/.378/.489 (143 wRC+) with 11 homers, 18 doubles, a triple and 15 steals in 350 plate appearances. He was also playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at shortstop, generating plus marks from Defensive Runs Saved (7) and Outs Above Average (4). He’ll return to his customary shortstop, while the newly reacquired Correa will slide over to third base in deference to the young shortstop who he mentored during the pair’s prior overlap in the Astros organization.
As for Short, he’ll be placed on waivers within the next five days now that the trade deadline has passed. He’s appeared in 22 games and taken 56 plate appearances with just a .220/.291/.380 output to show in that small sample. The 30-year-old Short has appeared in parts of five big league seasons and is a .172/.271/.296 hitter in 594 trips to the plate as a major leaguer. He’s a solid defender at multiple infield positions but is out of minor league options, so he’ll either clear waivers or have to stick on the major league roster of another club that claims him.
Astros Acquire Carlos Correa
Carlos Correa is coming home to play third base. The Twins have agreed to trade Correa to the Astros, according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, and Jon Morosi of MLB Network says he’ll man the hot corner for Houston. Pitching prospect Matt Mikulski is going to Minnesota, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Twins are paying down $33MM of the approximate $103.4MM remaining on Correa’s deal. The trade is now official.
The idea of the Astros bringing Correa back into the fold first surfaced yesterday in a report from Nightengale. Rome and Dan Hayes of The Athletic went on to report that the Astros approached the Twins with the concept of bringing back Correa, a favorite of owner Jim Crane.
With $103.4MM remaining on Correa’s contract through 2028, reporting today suggested that the two clubs were too far apart on dollars to consummate a deal. However, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports, the teams bridged their financial gap, Correa waived his no-trade clause, and the deal was resuscitated. As Correa told McTaggart, “I let them know there was only one team I would allow that to happen.”
The Astros and Crane have a history of letting star players depart for longer free agent deals elsewhere. In this case, Correa left after the 2021 season. Nearly three years later third baseman Alex Bregman turned down the Astros’ overtures and landed in Boston, after the club had already landed his replacement in Isaac Paredes (acquired from the Cubs in part because the Astros knew they couldn’t win the bidding on Kyle Tucker). Paredes tore his hamstring on July 19th, which may be season-ending.
Jeremy Peña has flourished in Correa’s absence, making his first All-Star team this year after hitting the IL in late June for a fractured rib. Peña could rejoin the Astros tomorrow in Boston, playing next to his predecessor on the left side of the infield against Bregman and the Red Sox. The Astros had picked up Ramon Urias from Baltimore last night, a move that paled in comparison to the division-rival Mariners adding Eugenio Suarez. Now with Correa, Urias will be pushed into a utility role that could include time at second base.
Correa, 31 in September, owns an uninspiring 97 wRC+ in 364 plate appearances this year for the Twins. His Twins career has been up-and-down in that regard, with a stellar 136 wRC+ in 2022, a down year in ’23, and a career-best 155 mark last year.
Correa played in only 86 games for the Twins in 2024, missing time due to an intercostal strain and plantar fasciitis. He spent time on the seven-day concussion list in May this year, but has otherwise avoided the IL despite some minor injuries.
Injuries have long been part of the story for Correa, who was drafted first overall by the Astros in 2012. He played 110 or fewer games in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2024, so he had a four-year run of good health encompassing his multiple free agencies.
Despite his injury history, Correa has been worth 3.7 WAR in seven separate seasons. He won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2015, made his first All-Star team and garnered MVP votes in 2017, made another All-Star team and finished fifth in the MVP voting in 2021, and made a third All-Star game with the Twins last year. Certainly Correa’s 2017 performance and the Astros’ championship are tarnished by the sign-stealing scandal, but the star players involved have largely been able to move on with minimal effects aside from perhaps extra boos from certain fanbases.
Correa has been a regular on the pages of MLBTR, perhaps beginning with that sign-stealing scandal in late 2019. Though Correa suffered some reputational damage for cheating at the time, his first run at free agency seemed largely unaffected. Hewing to their organizational philosophy on long-term contracts, the Astros topped out at a five-year, $160MM offer, even though Correa was heading into his age-27 season.
Though some major free agents such as Corey Seager signed before the 99-day 2021-22 lockout, Correa did not. Correa switched to the Boras Corporation during the lockout, and “settled” for a three-year, $105.3MM deal with the Twins in March 2022 with opt-out clauses after each season. After an excellent debut season with the Twins, Correa opted out as expected, but his second run at free agency was anything but easy.
Correa agreed to a 13-year, $350MM deal with the Giants in December 2022, which shockingly fell apart after his physical revealed concerns over his right leg. Correa then agreed to play third base for the Mets on a 12-year, $315MM deal, only to have that deal fall apart for similar reasons. That led to a January 2023 reunion with the Twins on a six-year, $200MM deal, ending one of the wildest free agencies this website has ever seen.
As Rome and Hayes wrote recently, “Though the Twins are enamored with Correa, believing he’s a difference-maker on the field, the team’s financial picture has changed drastically in the 30 months since he signed his six-year deal. The club has been up for sale since October, which is limiting how much the team can spend on players. Correa’s salary represents 25 percent of the Twins’ current $141 million payroll.”
Now, Correa will return to Houston and play a position other than shortstop for the first time in his 11-year MLB career. He told McTaggart, “We were waiting for a shortstop to come in [with Twins] and now that I get to play third base, it will be great for me at this stage of my career.” Whether Paredes moves to the right side of the infield next year or becomes offseason trade bait remains to be seen.
Correa is owed $103.4MM through 2028, which would represent a $31.4MM CBT hit for the Astros. Given the approximate $33MM the Twins are kicking in, we estimate the Astros’ CBT hit to be around $21MM. Future reporting will surely confirm the figure. The Astros’ CBT payroll sits just below the $241MM threshold, so this trade easily vaults Houston into second-time tax payor status. The trade has echoes of one the Astros made two years ago, when they re-acquired Justin Verlander after letting him go to the Mets via free agency.
Known to be seeking a left-handed bat, the Astros nonetheless added Urias and Correa within a short span at the deadline. But shortly after landing Correa, they finally did get a lefty stick in the Marlins’ Jesus Sanchez. Clearly in go-for-it mode, GM Dana Brown pursued the Padres’ Dylan Cease as well, but that did not come to fruition.
While the Astros have added to their first-place team, the 51-57 Twins have conducted a full-on fire sale. Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey traded a whopping 10 players off his active roster in July, including both rentals and controllable players.
This post was originally published at 3:05pm central time.
Astros Interested In Carlos Correa Reunion
July 31: Nightengale reports that the talks between the two clubs are “all but dead,” adding that Houston asked Minnesota to pay “about $50MM” of the $102.5MM remaining in Correa’s contract and also asked for an outfielder to be included in the deal. Nightengale adds that the Twins rejected that offer and “aren’t budging” from that position. Rome reports (alongside The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal) that talks between the sides have continued despite both sides downplaying the likelihood of a trade.
July 30, 12:37pm: The Astros approached the Twins about the possibility, Chandler Rome and Dan Hayes of The Athletic report. Astros owner Jim Crane has “remained a fan” of Correa since his departure, they note, adding that the Twins believe Houston is perhaps the only destination to which Correa would green-light a trade. Nightengale adds that Correa indeed would be open to returning to Houston and playing third base there. That said, Hayes and Rome echo Passan in writing that the two sides are far apart and a deal is not at all close.
12:07pm: The Twins and Astros have indeed talked about the possibility of a Correa trade but aren’t close to an agreement, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports.
9:52am: As the Astros seek help in the infield following injuries to Isaac Paredes and Jeremy Pena, they’ve looked into the possibility of bringing Carlos Correa back to Houston, as first reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune writes that the two parties have had discussions on the possibility. MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart adds that Houston’s interest “is real.” Nightengale adds that Houston remains interested in Eugenio Suárez as well and has at least weighed the possibility of another run at Nolan Arenado.
The Correa scenario presents a fascinating, if unexpected wrinkle to this summer’s deadline market. In the offseason, Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey downplayed the possibility of trading his shortstop, and Correa himself voiced an affinity for Minnesota when asked about his no-trade clause at the time.
It’s fair to wonder whether either party’s stance has changed. The Twins have struggled through a sub-.500 four months of baseball and have minimal hope of reaching the postseason. The Pohlad family is exploring a sale of the team, and while that was true over the winter as well, the former front-runner to purchase the Twins, Justin Ishbia, has since instead reached a long-term agreement to become the majority stakeholder in the White Sox (where he was already a minority owner). On Correa’s end of things, returning to his original organization and jumping back into a playoff race would presumably be appealing.
Correa is still owed significant money. He signed a six-year, $200MM deal with four vesting options prior to the 2023 season. He’ll make a combined $92MM from 2026-28 and also still has about $11.6MM of this year’s salary yet to be paid out. The Twins would almost certainly have to pay down a portion of the contract to make a deal work.
Even if Minnesota did so, however, adding Correa back to the roster in Houston would send the Astros soaring past the luxury tax threshold. They’re currently about $4.5MM shy of that barrier, per RosterResource. Owner Jim Crane was steadfastly against exceeding the tax threshold in the offseason — at least in most scenarios. His lone exception, it seemed, would have been for a reunion with Alex Bregman. Whether Crane is feeling more urgency due to Houston’s litany of injuries or simply harbors some sentimentality for another former Astros star, one has to imagine he’s grown more comfortable crossing the tax threshold.
That Correa is in the midst of a sub-par season only further muddies the water. The 30-year-old hit brilliantly for the Twins last year in an injury-shortened campaign, batting .310/.388/.517 with his typical brand of strong defense at shortstop. He’s rebounded from a poor start in 2025 to an extent, but Correa’s .267/.319/.386 slash is slightly under league average (97 wRC+). Over his past 274 plate appearances, Correa is hitting .300 with a .350 on-base percentage but just a .423 slugging percentage. His power is down substantially this season, in part because his ground-ball rate has spiked to a 48.5% — its highest level in five years.
A renewed run at Arenado would register as something of a surprise. Arenado invoked his no-trade clause to nix a trade to Houston over the winter. Now that the Astros are in first place, he’d likely be more open to a move there. However, he’s in the midst of a third straight down year at the plate and is still owed substantial money.
Arenado, 34, is hitting a career-worst .235/.295/.367 in 390 plate appearances. By measure of wRC+, he’s been 16% worse than average at the plate. He remains a strong defensive third baseman but no longer draws top-of-the-scale grades from defensive metrics. He’s earning $32MM this year, $27MM next year and $15MM in 2027. It’s a steep price to pay for a former All-Star whose bat is has been on the downswing for several years now. The Cardinals would need to eat a major portion of the contract, but there’s still enough left on the deal that Arenado, too, would surely put Houston over the luxury threshold.
Suárez, owed $4.8MM for the remainder of the season, might not quite put the Astros over that edge, though the Diamondbacks could always include some cash to coax a more favorable return. The bidding on the 34-year-old slugger will be fierce, however, and Houston’s farm system is not as well regarded as some of the other teams who’ll be vying for Suárez and his 36 home runs. The Mariners, Cubs, Tigers, Phillies and Reds are among the teams also pursuing him.
Paredes could miss the remainder of the season — Nightengale notes that surgery is a consideration — but he’s controlled for an additional two years. Pena is on the mend from fractured ribs but is also controlled through 2027. Given the Astros’ multiple years of control over the left side of their infield, Suárez represents a cleaner fit than either Correa or Arenado. Paredes could slide over to second base in subsequent seasons if the Astros wind up with a new infielder who’s signed beyond the current season, but he’s played the vast majority of his career at third base.
Correa’s name hasn’t come up until this point, but the Twins are expected to be active sellers over the next two days. Righty Chris Paddack was already moved to the Tigers, and rental players like Willi Castro, Harrison Bader and Danny Coulombe are all expected to change hands as well. The more interesting element is whether the Twins will cave and trade anyone controlled longer-term. Relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax have been two of the most sought-after names on the bullpen market, and any contending team would love to add righty Joe Ryan to its rotation. All three are controlled through 2027, however. Add in the new possibility of a Correa deal, and there’s plenty for the Minnesota front office to do over the next day and a half.
Twins Place Carlos Correa On Concussion IL
The Twins have placed shortstop Carlos Correa on the seven-day concussion injured list. He and outfielder Byron Buxton collided while attempting to make a catch yesterday and both players entered concussion protocol. Per Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune, Buxton is still in the protocol and there won’t be an update before tonight’s game starts. Infielder/outfielder Ryan Fitzgerald has been selected to take Correa’s place on the roster. To open a 40-man spot, right-hander Michael Tonkin has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. Dan Hayes of The Athletic was among those to relay the moves.
In yesterday’s game, Cedric Mullins lofted a pop-up to shallow center field, as seen in this video from MLB.com. Correa drifted out to get it while Buxton charged in. Buxton tried to call off Correa at the last second but Correa wasn’t able to get out of the way. The two collided with both appearing to take a knock on the head. Both were removed from the game and placed in concussion protocol.
It’s unclear how long Correa is expected to be out but his health obviously take priority in a situation like this. The Twins have Brooks Lee at shortstop tonight and he could see regular time there for now. Willi Castro is also an option but he’s in left field tonight, helping to cover on the grass while Buxton and Harrison Bader are both banged up.
Though it’s not under the most pleasant of circumstances, Fitzgerald gets to the majors for the first time, just ahead of his 31st birthday. He has been grinding in the minors for a while, making his professional debut back in 2018.
He’s never really been on the prospect radar but is having a great season. He has taken 148 Triple-A appearances so far this year, drawing a walk in 12.8% of those while only striking out 19.6% of the time. He has four home runs and a .328/.426/.528 line, which translates to a 154 wRC+.
What also probably appeals to this Twins is his defensively versatility. In his minor league career, he has played every position outside of the battery. In addition to Correa and Buxton, the Twins are also working around minor injuries to Bader and Ty France, though the latter is in the lineup tonight. Whatever happens, Fitzgerald should be able to help them out.
As for Tonkin, this doesn’t change much about his status. He has been on the 15-day injured list since the start of the season due to a rotator cuff strain and his 60-day count can be backdated to that initial placement. That means he can technically be reinstated as soon as late May. He started a rehab assignment in the middle of April but that was recently shut down, per Hayes. As of that May 11th update, Tonkin had just experienced a setback due to tendinitis in his right bicep and was set to receive an anti-inflammatory injection.
Photo courtesy of Mitch Stringer, Imagn Images