HOUSTON — The Houston Astros are reuniting with franchise icon Carlos Correa.
The Astros and Minnesota Twins finalized a deal for the three-time All-Star shortstop to return as Houston’s third baseman, the team announced on Thursday.
Correa will waive his no-trade clause and the Twins are sending the Astros $30 million of the $96 million guaranteed to Correa over the next three seasons. The Twins will get a prospect in return, left-handed pitcher Matt Mikulski.
Correa is making $33.3 million this year — a figure that, even if paid down by the Twins, would launch the Astros over the luxury tax for a second consecutive season for the first time in Jim Crane’s ownership tenure.
Crane was crucial in getting this deal done, according to two team sources. Crane has long been a fan of Correa and, by reacquiring him, continued to cement his reputation as one of baseball’s most aggressive owners during the trade deadline.
Even when sources from both teams downplayed the chances of a Correa trade on Wednesday morning, the possibility always existed due to Crane’s influence. This is the same owner who authorized last-minute trades for Justin Verlander in 2017 and Zack Greinke in 2019 — both of which stunned the baseball world.
Houston selected Correa with the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft and witnessed him blossom into one of the faces of its current golden era, leading the team to a 2017 World Series title. Correa won American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2015 and started an ascension to superstardom.
He became one of the most influential voices inside Houston’s clubhouse, helping to shepherd it through the fallout from the electronic sign-stealing scandal in 2020 and 2021.
The financial landscape of the Twins has changed drastically since Correa signed with the club in January 2023. At the time of the six-year deal, the front office had money to compete and build around the shortstop, fielding a club-record $153 million payroll that season.
But last October, the Pohlad family began to explore a sale of the club after 40 years of ownership, which ushered in financial uncertainty. Though there was a payroll increase of $15 million this season, the team has operated with restrictions just a year after the front office was forced to slash the budget by $30 million. The Twins added only three free agents — the now-traded Harrison Bader and Danny Coulombe, and Ty France — on one-year deals ahead of the season and none of the club’s growing list of arbitration-eligible players has been signed to long-term deals.
Before TwinsFest in January, Correa acknowledged the issue.
“We’re in a spot now where we cannot invest — it is what it is,” Correa said. “You’ve got to live with that, and you’ve got to go out and play with the players that you have. I feel like the talent is in this clubhouse, we’ve just got to put it all together.”
Trade grades
Cody Stavenhagen
Astros: C-
Twins: C+
There’s an emotional pull that comes with Correa’s Houston homecoming. But is this actually what is best for the Astros? A team that has been ravaged by injuries this season just picked up a 30-year-old shortstop with a checkered injury history himself. And oh yeah, he’s guaranteed $32.8 million in 2026 and more than $31 million in both 2027 and 2028, though the Twins will eat some of that money.
Overall, this is a bold move for a team that let Correa walk in free agency. And though he had 4.2 fWAR last season, two of his four seasons since leaving the Astros have been lackluster. Isaac Paredes is out for the season, and the Astros have a need, but this is a risky way to fill it. Correa is expected to play third base for the rest of this season, but it’s unclear what the Astros will do next year, with both Paredes and shortstop Jeremy Peña still under team control.
Bold moves at the deadline are fun and good for the game. But for Houston, this feels firmly in the reckless category.
The Twins, meanwhile, are likely happy to offload Correa’s contract, even if they net very little in return. As they press reset, all they’re doing is saving some money and admitting Correa’s time in Minnesota didn’t go according to plan.
Sam Blum
Astros: D
Twins: A-
It’s rarely good to make baseball transactions for good vibes or a fun reunion. Yes, shortstop Jeremy Pena and third baseman Isaac Paredes are both on the IL, the latter for the rest of the season. And yes, the Astros, a first place team, are in need of healthy infielders. But Carlos Correa is still owed around $100 million through the end of the 2028 season — and he’s regressed from the peak of his elite career. This is easily his worst season, as he’s posted just a 92 OPS+, indicating he’s currently a below-replacement offensive threat.
Perhaps Houston is the best place for Correa to return to his former glory, and he made it clear in an interview with MLB.com that he wasn’t lifting his no-trade clause for any other club. Still, that didn’t mean Houston had to reciprocate. It’s rare that players start to increase production after they turn 30. The Astros also have a lineup that is essentially all right-handed, and this trade doesn’t make them less one-dimensional. It is a fun deal, maybe one of the most significant on a busy deadline day. Astros fans will likely love it, and if Correa puts up big postseason numbers, then it will be worth it.
Minnesota’s doing the smart thing this deadline, essentially tearing it down after another hugely disappointing season. Getting off around $70 million of this contract is a coup for the Twins, who will be in a more flexible position thanks to this move. The prospect return isn’t what’s important here; Minnesota had no more use for the contract, and were fortunate they could do anything to lessen the financial burden. It’s particularly impressive given that Correa essentially robbed the Twins of any leverage by utilizing his no-trade clause for the 28 other clubs.
(Photo of Correa: David Berding / Getty Images)
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