Bob Nightengale: Astros Exploring Reunion With Carlos Correa

I still think odds are Correa has a bounce back year next year.  Its basically a 3 year 95 million contract after this year.  

Now would the Twins reinvest it.  Not all of it,  you can tell they feel the crunch,  but I do think they would reinvest 20 million of it.  However,  thats not occurring if we are paying Correa's contract.  Thats beyond stupid.  Now if we ate 30 million would they give us a bit of a prospect? Who knows.  I do see Houston as a potential landing spot but I don't see them doing any favors for us. 

Honestly, Correa has given us 10.5 War in the last 4 years.  Thats not bad.  I do think the Twins sold him on a bill of goods of becoming big spenders and fleshing out the roster and have not been able to fulfill that promise.   At the same point we gave him a 200 million dollar contract.  

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.

1 minute ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

IF they are better in 2026, isn't that the goal?

Not saying they truly become the Rays. But if getting off of Correa does open a spot for Culpepper (as an example) and allows to sign someone else (even if it isn't a total payroll as high) that still is a tier or 2 ahead of how Tampa has operated right?

Anyway, I'm 3 steps ahead here. This is probably just a rumor. Fun thought experiment.

Correa has been a bit of a disappointment perhaps but he is still the only shortstop. A huge question ... Can Kaelen Culpepper step in and play full time next season. We have seen WestSacramento and LAA stick guys with limited experience out there and they did ok.

There is zero chance the Twins pay most of the contract, but perhaps they pay $10M per year for the next three years. Seems like that would be the limit. 

I can't worry about how the Twins use that money. Looking over the FA pile for this coming winter is mostly just sad beyond the huge contract guys. I'm just hoping the Twins improve the roster overall and if Culpepper is ready that is a go for me.

1 minute ago, The Great Hambino said:

But it's a moot point anyway if the Astros' expectation is that the Twins retain a significant chunk of salary.  That defeats the purpose of trading him.  I think they've shown with the Paddack/Dobnak trade that they're prioritizing salary relief over prospect return right now

The Astros would need to pay everything above $10M or this doesn't work. 

I'm not sure salary relief was the only goal in trading Paddack and Dobnak. For sure it was a factor, but clearly there was close to a zero market for those guys and so one takes the best offer out there.

Is there a chance they swap disappointments? Correa for Christian Walker saves the Twins $50M and fills the giant hole at 1B.

OMG yes please.

He's not going to magically get younger.  And even if the Pohlads don't reinvest all $30MM,+ if it frees up even $15MM that's a lot of money.

 

I''m indifferent. I would l s like to keep  Correa and see the team start winning again. If Correa want's out and waives his no trade you would have to honor it. Either way we know that Pohlads would only be doing this trade force salary dump so it?'s not like the retirn would be that good.  One thing we know as Twins fans it is 100% certainty that the Pohlads wouldn't not re-invest any of the salary. They cannot sell this team fast enough.  I want to keep Correa but with Twins looking to sell it is likely Pihlads want to clear the payroll decks. THEY ARE JUST LIJE THE A's owner. 

I think it is too soon to write off Correa. If Buxton could somehow turn things around and get healthy (for at least most of 2025), then there is hope for Correa - unless of course there is something going on behind the scenes that we're not privy to.

I would do this if the Astros actually send some value back to the Twins, not just as a salary dump.  And I would then NOT trade Ryan and try and extend him this off season.

The Twins would then have solid starting pitching and look for younger and better position players to fill out the team.

I would be curious if Correa would waive his no trade.

1 hour ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

Are the Twins a better team in 2026 with Correa at SS again? Or are they better with Culpepper or Lee at SS, along with adding Walker Janek and a starting pitching prospect they like? Just throwing this out as a thought experiment

I would say YES, they are better with Correa at SS in 2026.   He is a thinking man shortstop.  No, the bat hasn't been what we had hoped for.   Culpepper - wow, that is a reach!!   I just don't think the return would be high enough.

55 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

I could see the savings being reinvested indirectly in the form of retaining some arb raises that they'd otherwise move contracts to avoid.  But reinvesting in new free agents?  Not likely.  

But it's a moot point anyway if the Astros' expectation is that the Twins retain a significant chunk of salary.  That defeats the purpose of trading him.  I think they've shown with the Paddack/Dobnak trade that they're prioritizing salary relief over prospect return right now

Disagree.   Paddack brought a lottery ticket C.   I am sure 90% on here all year wanted him off the team.  Now they can bid for him back