Report: Astros interested in Correa reunion
The Houston Astros are interested in reuniting with a former core piece ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.
Houston is showing interest in acquiring Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa, a source told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
While the clubs have discussed a Correa trade, the sides remain far apart, and no deal is close, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Correa has full control of his future, as he holds a full no-trade clause. However, the 30-year-old doesn't seem anxious to move on from the Twins, as he downplayed the trade talks following Wednesday's game.
"That's not something I think is serious right now. We'll see where everything goes," Correa told Dan Hayes of The Athletic. "But my goal has always been to be here and win here. I've been talking to (president of baseball operations Derek Falvey) and (manager Rocco Baldelli), and I'll be ready for the next series."
The Astros would presumably use Correa at third base with Isaac Paredes sidelined with a strained hamstring. Jeremy Peña is Houston's regular starter at shortstop and is expected to return soon after missing more than a month with a fractured rib.
Correa spent the first seven years of his career with the Astros after they selected him first overall in the 2012 draft. The Puerto Rican appeared in two All-Star Games and won a Platinum Glove and a World Series during his tenure in Houston.
The Puerto Rico native signed with the Twins in free agency ahead of the 2022 campaign. He nearly inked megadeals with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets after opting out of his Twins contract in November 2022, but he returned to Minnesota on a six-year deal in free agency after the Giants and Mets expressed concern over his ankle, which was injured earlier in his career.
Correa is hitting .265/.317/.384 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs in 92 games this season while playing some of the worst defense of his career.
He's owed the remainder of his $36-million salary for this season and an additional $92 million until 2028. His contract also includes yearly club options from 2029 to 2032, and he has full no-trade protection.