With one day to go before the MLB trade deadline, a shocking Minnesota Twins rumor has surfaced that would turn the roster upside down. While Byron Buxton was never going to be traded, and his placement on the IL is further proof of that, the door may have just been opened to the Twins trading Carlos Correa.
As the Houston Astros look for infield help, with Isaac Paredes potentially lost for the remainder of the season, they may have turned their attention toward a potential reunion with Correa. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Astros are exploring the possibility, among other options that include Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Nolan Arenado of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Given the remaining money on his contract - over $100MM - and the fact that he has a full no-trade clause, Correa being moved at the deadline never felt like a realistic possibility before this moment. However, Nightengale, in his reporting, suggests that Correa would approve a trade if it meant returning to the Astros.
"Yet, he has told friends that he would be willing to waive his no-trade for the opportunity to return to Houston, where he and his family still reside in the offseason. The Astros surely would demand the Twins to pay a significant portion of the contract in trade talks."
Twins star Carlos Correa could be headed back to where it all started in Houston
Now, Correa's contract is an obvious sticking point in a potential trade. For the Twins, the entire motivation behind moving Correa would be to find a taker for his contract. The Astros likely wouldn't be that team, considering how they have operated financially at past deadlines. Short of the Twins completely wanting to reset their Major League roster, trading Correa, without the Astros taking on his contract, doesn't feel like a step this front office is willing to take.
Correa's name being floated in a trade rumor is an interesting wrinkle for the Twins with the deadline on Thursday. Of course, other larger moves such as trading Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, or Griffin Jax also remain on the table.