Carlos Correa’s return to baseball may be sooner than you think, according to an MLB insider
Carlos Correa joined the Minnesota Twins this offseason after leaving the Houston Astros, but an opt-out clause in his contract could allow him to go sooner than expected.
Correa signed a three-year contract with the Twins, but the deal is a little longer. For the upcoming season, the talented shortstop is only committed to Minnesota. He has opt-outs following his first and second seasons with the Twins, according to the rules.
The Twins’ front office essentially agreed to be in a continual state of terror.
While this is still a smart talent move because Correa will be a force in Minnesota, it does mean that he might depart at any time (well, any offseason for that matter).
In his most recent piece, Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicted that this very likely thing would happen:
“Carlos Correa enjoys his one season in Minnesota but misses being on the big stage in October, opts out of his contract, and returns to the Astros to the delight of his former teammates.”
Ouch. That would wreak havoc across the Midwest.
A possibility is Carlos Correa’s comeback to the Houston Astros
Correa retains links to Houston. Correa’s teammates adore and respect him, and owner Jim Crane tried everything he could to persuade him to return on a reasonable contract. Unfortunately for Crane, the Twins came through with a better offer at the last minute.
It will probably depend on how well his replacement, who the Astros have been talking about all spring, does.
Jeremy Pea gained the starting shortstop job earlier than expected, and as a rising star, he might provide the Astros with a cost-effective Correa successor. Though it’s unlikely he’ll live up to Correa’s expectations, if he can come close, Crane and Houston will have a difficult decision to make.
Pea had an OPS of 1.268 and was hitting.412 with two home runs and eight RBI in seven spring training games as of Sunday.Although spring training is just that, we shouldn’t dismiss the Astros’ scouting department as one of the best in baseball.
If Correa returns, only time will tell. The Twins should take advantage of him while they still can.
