Big change coming for Carlos Correa as he returns to former team
Correa had a no-trade clause but he waived it in order to return to Houston and play third base.
The prodigal son has returned to the Houston Astros. The team has acquired shortstop Carlos Correa in a trade with the Minnesota Twins, bringing back the star who spent the first seven years of his career in Houston.
To complete the deal, the Astros sent cash considerations and pitching prospect Matt Mikulski to Minnesota. The 26-year-old left-hander split his 2025 season between Rookie League and Class A, posting a 6.46 ERA over 12 appearances, allowing eight earned runs in 12 2/3 innings.
Correa waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the move back to Houston, where he’s expected to play third base. The decision was reached mutually between Correa and the Twins’ front office after discussions about his role and the team’s direction.
“It’s going to be electric,” Correa told MLB.com. “It’s going to be a lot of fun and I cannot wait to get started with the guys again. I’m coming home and there’s only one goal in mind and that’s to win championships.”
“I’ve been wanting to play third base for the past couple of years, but it wasn’t happening in Minnesota,” he explained. “We were waiting for a shortstop to come in and now that I get to play third base it would be great for me at this stage of my career.”
Correa, a key member of the Astros’ 2017 World Series-winning team, appeared in 752 games during his first stint in Houston. He recorded a .277 batting average with 781 hits in 2,824 at-bats.
As part of the deal, the Twins will continue to pay a portion of Correa’s salary. He has $96 million remaining on his contract through the 2028 season, with a club option that could keep him in Houston through 2032. The Astros will be responsible for $63 million of that remaining balance, while the Twins will cover the remaining $33 million.
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