Bob Nightengale: Astros Exploring Reunion With Carlos Correa

[USAFChief]

Id be pretty surprised if Correa gets traded without the Twins eating a ton of money.

[SteveLV]

MLB Trade Rumors adds the detail that the Astros owner "remains a fan" of Correa and would welcome him back to Houston.  That should help with the financial piece.

You have about 27 hours to pull this off.  The fact that Correa has "lightheadedness" and is not playing today and tomorrow is an off day gives them time to put this together.

This would certainly alter the trajectory of the Twins.....

[Woof Bronzer]

5 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Absolutely not. Losing Correa's salary just gives the Pohlads an excuse to further lower payroll. Correa makes around $30m next season.

Someone tell me with a straight face that if the Pohlads somehow get out of that $30m, they will reinvest $30m back into payroll.

Of course they won't reinvest it.  But there's a very strong argument to be made that Twins will be a better team without Correa, both on the field and in the clubhouse.  

[P Meyer]

4 hours ago, Road trip said:

It would depend a bit on the return and how much salary the Twins need to retain, but I wouldn't be averse to trading Correa.

Correa was a great player, HOF track.  But the past three years have not been encouraging.  His body may be failing...not his fault, and I don't doubt his work ethic, but I don't think he is a player that is going to age well.  He is already pretty slow on the bases, he's losing range in the field, and he isn't hitting at anywhere near the rates he once did.  If we want a faster roster (heard daily on TD), shortstop is a good position to add speed (Culpepper by 2027?).

For a small market team the highest paid players have to perform, otherwise you get a sub .500 season.  Correa, Buxton, and Pablo are rightly the three highest paid players, and all are high injury risks.  To manage the risk, one of them probably has to go... and it won't be Buxton.

The return would be minimal depending on how much of the contract they would have to pay. 

[P Meyer]

3 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

I'd trade him. I think the owners pocket the money, and I think he could be good again, but I think he could decline. This team isn't winning with old guys, and maybe if they get rid of CC, they'll go young everywhere. Which also might not work! But it might discourage the France type signing..... I'm just done with this core.

One of the unintended benefits could be the lower payroll commitment helping speed up the sale process.

[sweetmusicviola16]

If we trade Correa it needs to be to make the team better talent wise. No salary dump by ownership. If Pohlad's got rid of his salary it would only be replaced by another 4-6mil has been veteran. That is likely. If it's a fair deal that can be made of course you listen and think about it. Obviously no one is happy with his 2025 performance. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

43 minutes ago, Woof Bronzer said:

Of course they won't reinvest it.  But there's a very strong argument to be made that Twins will be a better team without Correa, both on the field and in the clubhouse.  

There has never been even a whisper that Correa is a clubhouse problem. In fact, everybody pretty much says the opposite.

[TheLeviathan]

2 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

There has never been even a whisper that Correa is a clubhouse problem. In fact, everybody pretty much says the opposite.

I'm not arguing that point...but what about the tension that seems to exist with him and Royce?

[TheLeviathan]

I'll take Christian Walker and an A-ball flyer.

I think Correa hit the early 30s wall and I want to tap out while I can.  I hate saying that knowing the Pohlads will dink around with the money and put us back in the Terry Ryan Discount Aisle of player acquisition.

But better that than forcing a diminished player out at the most important position on the field while paying 20% of payroll to him to be a negative value.

[Brock Beauchamp]

3 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

I'm not arguing that point...but what about the tension that seems to exist with him and Royce?

Is there tension? I don't know, honestly. Could be. But I know there has been at least temporary friction, and it's pretty obvious that was squarely on Lewis while Correa was trying to get everybody's ass in gear.

I'm not particularly enchanted with Lewis. I would not make any roster decisions around him.

[TheLeviathan]

3 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Is there tension? I don't know, honestly. Could be. But I know there has been at least temporary friction, and it's pretty obvious that was squarely on Lewis while Correa was trying to get everybody's ass in gear.

I'm not particularly enchanted with Lewis. I would not make any roster decisions around him.

Fair, those dynamics from afar seem odd.  I seem to recall last year some squabbles that became public that I thought centered on those two.

Frankly...part of my reason for selling is because I don't see the vision or the captain to lead it on this team.  If it weren't for the misers pocketing the money, I'd be cheering hard to make this deal happen.

[Brock Beauchamp]

5 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

Fair, those dynamics from afar seem odd.  I seem to recall last year some squabbles that became public that I thought centered on those two.

Going from memory, Lewis wasn't doing extra work while he was circling the drain late in the season, and Correa called him out for it.

[Vanimal46]

Kevin Kernan is on Dan Barreiro’s show on KFAN. First thing they discuss is Correa. And he’s of the belief if Correa made it known right now that he’d waive his NTC for Houston that Correa already decided he wants out of here. 

[I Miss The Lakes]

2 hours ago, sweetmusicviola16 said:

If we trade Correa it needs to be to make the team better talent wise. No salary dump by ownership. If Pohlad's got rid of his salary it would only be replaced by another 4-6mil has been veteran. That is likely. If it's a fair deal that can be made of course you listen and think about it. Obviously no one is happy with his 2025 performance. 

No
You do realize that the Pohlads are trying to SELL the team [finally]
Please catch up to what is actually happening with this team my friend

[glunn]

I hope that the Twins find a way to make this deal. It seems to me that Correa is unlikely to be worth the remaining value of his contract, and based on what I have seen his defense has been declining.

Even if this is a salary dump, I am OK with it.  Hopefully new owners will come in and use the savings wisely.

 

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

Kevin Kernan is on Dan Barreiro’s show on KFAN. First thing they discuss is Correa. And he’s of the belief if Correa made it known right now that he’d waive his NTC for Houston that Correa already decided he wants out of here. 

Who wouldn't after this awful Duran trade?

[I Miss The Lakes]

1 minute ago, Mike Sixel said:

Who wouldn't after this awful Duran trade?

'Negotiation'
Falvey- we want Painter
Phillies Falvey- No
Falvey- Ok, what else you got?
Phillies Falvey- Best I can do is maybe decent shiny beads
Falvey- OK, buy me beer next time we see each other
:)

[tony&rodney]

If I'm Correa I'm trying to finagle my way out of Minnesota. He wants to win. How? Don't know.

[glunn]

If Falver makes this happen then I will forgive him for his other recent questionable trades.

[Eris]

5 hours ago, sweetmusicviola16 said:

 

If we trade Correa it needs to be to make the team better talent wise.

 

Correa is tracking for about 1.8 WAR for the year or about $20 million/WAR. The Twins will be fortunate if they can get an A lottery pick. 

[S Bart]

13 hours ago, jaimedude said:

We should all hope new owners announced soon. Poorly managed organization with not great development of either pitching or hitting at least at the high levels. 

I question if an owner will come forward this year. The debt connected to the team has pushed off some of the customers.

[S Bart]

9 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Is there tension? I don't know, honestly. Could be. But I know there has been at least temporary friction, and it's pretty obvious that was squarely on Lewis while Correa was trying to get everybody's ass in gear.

I'm not particularly enchanted with Lewis. I would not make any roster decisions around him.

Nor sure if the tension is that big of a deal. They became close during the off season. Correa's wife helped plan the Lewis wedding.

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, S Bart said:

I question if an owner will come forward this year. The debt connected to the team has pushed off some of the customers.

Not took mention a possible lockout in a year....

[S Bart]

Just now, Mike Sixel said:

Not took mention a possible lockout in a year....

Good point! 2027 will be a challenge for the sport.

[Brock Beauchamp]

7 hours ago, S Bart said:

Nor sure if the tension is that big of a deal. They became close during the off season. Correa's wife helped plan the Lewis wedding.

Yeah, thanks. I didn't think there was real animosity; that's why I described it as friction. Based on the little I've heard, the friction came and went.

[Chembry]

This is probably dead with Houston's acquisition of Urias, at least for now.  I don't think anyone would be surprised if something happens with Houston in the offseason now knowing Correa would waive his NTC to go back to Houston.

That is of course pending new ownership/front office that is still willing to make that move and their desire to sign free agents.  

[Woof Bronzer]

17 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

There has never been even a whisper that Correa is a clubhouse problem. In fact, everybody pretty much says the opposite.

Clubhouse was the wrong word...I just meant when your leader/captain has clearly checked out that's going to trickle down to the rest of the team.  Half the team follows his example of trotting out grounders...

[Brock Beauchamp]

6 minutes ago, Woof Bronzer said:

Clubhouse was the wrong word...I just meant when your leader/captain has clearly checked out that's going to trickle down to the rest of the team.  Half the team follows his example of trotting out grounders...

That's an organizational decision, not a Carlos Correa decision. Half of this team, and pretty much all of its actual good players, have had repeated lower-body injuries. As a result, they're being told not to run out grounders at 100% because it's not worth the risk.

[LakesPibble]

18 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Is there tension? I don't know, honestly. Could be. But I know there has been at least temporary friction, and it's pretty obvious that was squarely on Lewis while Correa was trying to get everybody's ass in gear.

I'm not particularly enchanted with Lewis. I would not make any roster decisions around him.

I'm with you.  He's picked back up recently but still below avg batter for the year, prone to injury, and quite enamored of himself.

He has a charming smile and plays well for the camera, but I don't think he's a franchise cornerstone at this point.

[Woof Bronzer]

21 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

That's an organizational decision, not a Carlos Correa decision. 

Source?