In a stunning move just before Thursday’s MLB trade deadline, the Houston Astros reacquired shortstop Carlos Correa in a blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Twins.
Correa, who was Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star during his first tenure in Houston, waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the return. He has also agreed to move to third base, forming a dynamic left side of the infield with current shortstop Jeremy Peña.
The trade was primarily a salary dump for the Twins, who have been up for sale since last October. Minnesota agreed to pay just $33 million of the $104 million remaining on Correa’s contract through 2028. In return for one of the sport’s most prominent players, the Twins received a modest prospect package headlined by 26-year-old Class-A left-hander Matt Mikulski.
“I had some conversations with the front office in Minnesota, and we were not moving in the direction I thought we were,” Correa said Thursday. “They agreed with me that it was time to move me. I let them know there was only one team I would allow that to happen.”
The Astros’ priorities shifted after third baseman Isaac Paredes suffered a potentially season-ending hamstring injury. Shortly after landing Correa, Houston also filled its need for a left-handed bat by acquiring outfielder Jesus Sanchez from the Miami Marlins. To get Sanchez, the Astros sent shortstop Chase Jaworsky, a top-10 prospect in their system, along with minor league outfielder Esmil Valencia and major league right-hander Ryan Guston to Miami.
A former No. 1 overall draft pick in 2012, Correa was a cornerstone of the Astros team that won the 2017 World Series and became a dominant American League franchise. This season, however, his offensive numbers have declined, as he is batting .267 with seven home runs in 93 games.
“This is a big move for the team, for the city, for where we’re going in the future,” Houston general manager Dana Brown said. “He’s just going to bring a lot, not only as a player but as a human being—his leadership skills and the energy he brings to this club. I’m fired up.”
While this will be Correa’s first time playing third base in the major leagues, he said it is a change he has anticipated. “I’ve been wanting to play third base for the past couple of years,” Correa stated. “It would be great for me at this stage of my career.”
Sanchez, 27, has hit .246 with 69 home runs and 29 stolen bases over 522 games with the Marlins since 2021 and is under team control through 2027.
Brown noted that while the team explored pitching upgrades, the high asking prices and the impending returns of injured starters Spencer Arrighetti, Cristian Javier, and Luis Garcia led them to focus on offense.
“Knowing that we had some arms coming back, we stuck with the bats,” Brown said. “We feel like these bats are going to make a pretty good impact on our offense, help us score some runs and win some games.”
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