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When all was said and done on Thursday's trade deadline, Carlos Correa was back in Houston — and for the first time in his big-league career, he’s switching positions. In a blockbuster deadline deal that stunned much of the baseball world, the Astros reacquired Correa from the Minnesota Twins. But this time, he’s not returning as the face of the shortstop position. Instead, he’ll move to third base — a change he’s been hoping to make for years.
“I’ve been asking the Twins to play third base for the last two years,” Correa revealed Thursday. “But it was not aligning because of how we were constructed. When they told me the Astros wanted me for third base, I was like, that would be perfect.”
Perfect, indeed, for an Astros team that desperately needed a spark. Houston has dropped 12 of its last 19 games, with nearly half its Opening Day lineup on the injured list. Losing third baseman Isaac Paredes to a serious hamstring injury pushed general manager Dana Brown to strike aggressively before the deadline — and Correa was the centerpiece.
“It’s a big move for the team, for the city, for where we’re going,” Brown said. “He’s going to bring a lot — not only as a player, but as a human being. His leadership skills, the energy, the experience — we’re fired up.”
Carlos Correa will man the hot corner for the Astros with Isaac Parades out for the season
The deal came together fast, facilitated by Correa’s willingness to waive his no-trade clause — but only for Houston, the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2012 and where he won a World Series in 2017.
“I let them [the Twins] know there was only one team I would allow that to happen,” Correa told MLB.com.
The trade also reunited Correa with Jeremy Peña, the shortstop who replaced him in 2022. The two grew close this past offseason, training together and even bonding over game nights at Correa’s house. Now, they’ll anchor the left side of Houston’s infield together.
“He’ll give our clubhouse a charge, give the city a charge,” said Brown. “We feel like we’re going to get a boost from that and a boost of more energy.”
Statistically, Correa isn’t the same player he was when he left Houston. He’s slashing .267/.319/.386 with seven homers in 93 games this season and has struggled against sliders — hitting just .184 with a 40.2% whiff rate. But the Astros are betting on a change of scenery, a familiar clubhouse, and Minute Maid Park’s hitter-friendly confines to help him bounce back.
The Astros absorbed nearly all of Correa’s remaining contract — over $70 million — in a deal that sent only a low-level pitching prospect back to Minnesota. Shortly after, Houston also added lefty-hitting outfielder Jesús Sánchez from the Marlins, bolstering their offense without surrendering any of their top five prospects.
“I’m very excited to play with this group of guys that I know, to try to win championships every year,” Correa said.
The reunion is full-circle. The role is new. But for Houston, Correa’s return signals something bigger: the window to win is still wide open.
