BOSTON (AP) — Carlos Correa wasn’t going to waive his no-trade clause for any other team.
But when the Twins told him that they would be rebuilding for the rest of the season – and probably beyond – Correa OK’d a deal back to Houston, where he still owned the house from his first go-’round with the Astros.
“My wife hates the cold,” the 2017 World Series champion said before making his Astros return in Friday night’s 2-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox. “We kept the house in Houston just to come back to, and our family and friends are there. So we live there, so it works perfectly.
“You never want to burn bridges in this game. You never know how things are going to end up panning out,” Correa said. “My relationship in Minnesota (is) fantastic, same here in Houston when I left. And now you see that I’m back.”
The top pick in the 2012 amateur draft and 2015 AL Rookie of the Year, Correa was beloved in Houston as part of the homegrown core that helped the franchise go from laughingstock to perennial contenders. A two-time All-Star in his seven years with the Astros, he helped the franchise to six playoff appearances, three AL pennants and its first World Series title.
He signed with Minnesota as a free agent in 2022 and made another All-Star team but just one playoff appearance, in 2023. On Thursday, with the Twins languishing in fourth in the AL Central and ninth in the race for three wild-card berths, they sold off anything of value to look toward the future.
“After talking to the front office in Minnesota, I understood that the direction where the organization was going was not the one that I was there for,” Correa said. “So that’s when we agreed that it was best for both parties to just make this trade happen.”
Houston sent minor-league pitcher Matt Mikulski to Minnesota in return for Correa and agreed to pay $33 million of the more than $100 million remaining on his contract.
“That was never a thought until I saw the rumors, and I texted him and he said it was real,” said second baseman Jose Altuve, one of the holdovers from Correa’s first stint in Houston. “That’s when we started as a team getting excited about it.”
The Astros, who at the time of the trade deadline led the AL West by five games over the Seattle Mariners, also picked up outfielder Jesús Sánchez and minor leaguers Chase Jaworsky and Esmil Valencia. Sanchez, who played left field and batted third on Friday night, had two hits.
Correa was hitless in four at-bats while playing third and batting cleanup. He had played 1,186 games at shortstop in his major league career, and none at third base; he did play some third base for Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic.
“I’m going to be putting a lot of work at third base and getting to know the position,” Correa said before taking grounders during batting practice. “I grew accustomed to shortstop and it’s going to a fun challenge.”
Astros manager Joe Espada said he was at the movies with his children on Thursday afternoon when the news came in about Correa.
“A lot of stuff happened on my off day, but it was a really good off day,” Espada said. “I didn’t finish the movie. The phone kept ringing, but I didn’t mind. It happened really quickly. We added all those players in a matter of minutes. And I was very excited. Very, very happy with the outcome.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Jimmy Golen, The Associated Press
