All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa will likely see his time with the Houston Astros come to an end very soon.
On Tuesday, The Athletic MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reported that Houston is “floating” Correa’s name in potential blockbuster deals. It makes sense that this would be the case given that he is heading into the final year of his deal and a long-term agreement seems unlikely.
Beyond that, the Astros need to make big changes to their pitching group which will be impossible if they overpay for Correa.
With that in mind, it’s worth examining who some of Houston’s realistic trade partners are. There seem to be three big ones: the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.
The Dodgers are an interesting one given the history between them and Astros (and Correa in particular), but this will ultimately boil down to a business decision on behalf of all parties involved.
Barring something crazy happening, the champs will likely land Nolan Arenado this year. He will serve as Justin Turner’s replacement when he inevitably leaves. That addresses the ticking time bomb at third base.
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However, a similar situation could soon play out at shortstop. Corey Seager is going to want a lot of money, and it’s unclear why the Dodgers wouldn’t just preemptively bring in Correa now as a cheap replacement.
If not the Dodgers, the Mets could also make a lot of sense. They are rumored to be very much in the Francisco Lindor Sweepstakes, and nabbing Correa could serve as a nice Plan B for them. New York has enough enticing prospects to get Houston’s attention, so a trade like this could be mutually beneficial for all involved.
Finally, don’t sleep on the Phillies. Clearly the organization needs to make some changes. They have somehow been in win-now mode for years without actually doing any winning. They have also been in the conversation for a potential Lindor trade, so the same rationale applies to settling for Correa.
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It’s worth remembering, since 2015 Correa has hit .276/.353/.480, while Lindor has hit .285/.346/.488. The gap between the two players is not what some make it out to be. If you can get the former on a cheaper deal than the latter, there is no reason not to pull the trigger.
Obviously Correa missing 192 games between 2017 and 2019 is not ideal, but he looked fine in the playoffs last year so there’s no reason to assume that won’t continue going forward.
Correa comes with his fair share of baggage – that much is undeniable. But he could be a valuable piece on a contending squad, and the aforementioned teams would be wise to at least strongly consider making a move for him.
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