Not as much of a kid as previous phenoms the Astros have promoted. (Or usual age of star rookies in general). He should be physically ready, sort of like how Meyers had filled out this year which accelerated his status.
Just a thought: He also lost the 2020 season for preparation. Some found a way to take advantage, but to most, it was a lost year of development.
Man gonna miss the Correa, Altuve hug to celebrate big moments the height difference is just so funny. If this is it for Carlos he’s a primary reason for the best 7 year stretch in franchise history. I’m sure we’ll find a way to be good without him but it really won’t be the same team.
Carlos Correa’s last ride started somewhere over Southern California. Minutes turned to hours during a flight bound for Anaheim, forcing the superstar shortstop to contemplate what could be the end of his career in Houston. Time is fading to cherish the camaraderie he helped create. Correa considers his teammates family. In their final regular-season trip together before he enters free agency, where Correa wants a deal the Astros have never delivered, he felt compelled to tell them how much it all meant. Correa left his seat, walked down the aisle and started to speak. “I was telling them I love every single one of you and this will forever be my favorite team I’ve been a part of,” Correa said last week. “If this is the last year, I’m going to have a family here forever. It doesn’t matter where I end up. I’m always going to love these guys here.” Correa went around to some of the 27 teammates seated near him. Earlier in the month, he and his wife, Daniella, discussed how difficult the last days of the season could be. Correa has transformed from boy to man to superstar in full view of a city that adores him. On the plane, Correa reached the one man alongside him for all of it. It turned into the toughest conversation of all. “I didn’t want to hug him,” Jose Altuve said, “because I still have hope that we can make a push and sign him.” “It does mean a lot more because it’s kind of the end of an era in a way,” first baseman Yuli Gurriel said through an interpreter. “There’s been a lot of time spent together with this group of guys. To break that up, it would be very special to send him off with a championship.” Contract impasse Nothing about the organization’s offseason spending during Jim Crane’s ownership tenure offers much hope for a reunion with Correa. The team presently carries player salaries nearing $200 million. It paid the competitive balance tax — a cost for exceeding a payroll threshold set annually by Major League Baseball — in 2020 when that threshold was $208 million. Crane does spend money, but more often as part of trades or contract extensions. The Astros could not agree to an extension with Correa, who expects a deal bigger than any in this franchise’s 60-season existence. Before the 2017 season, Josh Reddick signed a four-year, $52 million contract that remains the longest and richest deal given to any free agent in Crane’s 10-year reign. General manager James Click has not officially addressed Correa’s contract status since the end of spring training. “Hopefully,” Click said then, “we can pick it back up at the appropriate time. Our door is always open.” Correa ended his contract negotiations after spring training to devote sole focus to the season. He has produced numbers that dwarf Lindor’s. Correa compiled the most complete season of his major league career. He promised in spring training to demonstrate elite play “both offensively and defensively” and cast aside durability concerns that dogged him for the last four years. “It’s not all about talking that talk. It’s walking it, too,” Correa said. “So far, it’s been great.” The Astros offered Correa two contract extensions in spring training. The first covered six years for around $120 million. At the time, Correa called the offer “really low.” A five-year, $125 million offer prompted Correa to say he is looking for “a big, long contract.” Team officials, according to Correa, told him “we don’t believe in long contracts. We don’t believe in big contracts.” “If it was up to me and I could just, you know, go out there and sign my own contract here, obviously I would stay here. But that’s not up to me,” Correa said last week. “That’s up there with the front office. At the end of the day, they’re going to make the best decision for this team. If they see me as a part of it going into the future, that would be great.” […] After matching his career high with 24 home runs earlier this month, Correa said he does not pay attention to such standard statistics. “Going into free agency, it’s more about the stats that are going to project: hard-hit (percentage), walk percentage, wOBA, OPS+, wRC+,” Correa said. “I look more at that.” […] “I truly believe we have a team that can win a World Series this year,” Correa said, “so I don’t want to look ahead and not enjoy this process or this moment that we are in right now. I’m just going to enjoy every single second of it until the last day of the season — whenever that is.”
**** man, I hate seeing these articles of Carlos saying his goodbyes to his teammates. Click, open the ****ing bank and pay the man!
It ain't Click's bank that opens. Crane has shown he'll pay up to the luxury tax and in special circumstances go over for a year. If Click can can show Crane a path that keeps payroll at the luxury tax level with Correa on the books while not sacrificing in other areas of need then that's the chance. With some big contracts coming off the books, there could be that path.
To me (a fan who isn't writing the checks), if it will ever make sense for the Astros to do long term contract this seems like it. He's young enough to still be somewhat productive at the end, and from the outside it seems like he brings a lot of value to the organization off the field. Crane didn't get where he is by being sentimental about money, but if anything like that was going to play into it it seems like it would also be this case. While teams can be successful without these types of contracts, they don't always doom a team even if things don't work out perfectly. How well run the team is and it's overall player development system has a big effect on how risky these contracts are. Are the Dodgers going to be worse off (in a business sense) over the next 10 years than Boston because they took on Mookie Betts? Were the Angels problems because of the Pujol's contract or a reflection of the broader organization? Certainly the Astros don't need Correa to be competitive and that kind of a contract reduces flexibility. It's certainly the lower risk move to let him sign elsewhere for a 10 year contract and that seems to be the Astros approach to this point. I think the more recent opportunities have been on resigning trade acquisitions or older players. I'm not sure there has quite been a situation like Correa's, so for a fan that leaves a little glimmer of optimism we won't have to see him winning playoff series for the Yankees.
Correa is the one Astro I would say to go ahead and break the bank for to keep this team together. Altuve, McCullers and Bregman are already locked up with Alvarez, Tucker, Meyers young enough to keep the payroll down but still productive. Not to mention our entire pitching staff is solid and mostly young (even after Greinke leaves) Verlander and Brantley's future are question marks and most likely will not come back down the road which should free up some money as well. As early as only 2 years ago Correa made only $5 million a season (and a prorated $2.9 million in 2020). He has out produced his salary even figuring in his injuries. He made a total of about $22 million in all 7 seasons since 2015. The only reason NOT to sign him long term is whether the Astros feel they are mainly paying for his past performance and his injury-prone self may come back. My thought on that is Correa has always been there in the post season ready to play. You don't pay him a long term contract because you need 30 HRS and 100 RBIs from him every year (ala Pujols back in the day) but because his defense saves runs, his presence increases moral and his bat when rolling unexpectedly can alter a course of a series.
I don’t think Correa is as big of a risk health wise for the next 5 years (at least no more so than Altuve or Bregman). There has to be some sort of opt out clause that could be mutually beneficial to both sides.
It’s always asked, or so it seems, and I know it’s different to be “linked” with someone then that actually manifesting but how the hell can the Yankees constantly be linked to players? or rather how do they always seem to have flexibility?
I'm feeling Detroit, Miami, or, God Forbid, Seattle. All three are teams on the up-and-up, that will compete for playoff spots next year. Adding a 5-6 WAR player will cement their cores for years to come. Rangers giving Carlos all that money would result in A-Rod 0.7. Twins also look to rebuild, but I don't know enough about them to count them out. The Yankees NEED a great SS, they have the motive, they have the money, they just have to go over the Lux Tax, something George would do in a heartbeat. Hal? Not so much. Personally, I'd throw 8-240 as my starting point and work up from there. Carlos isn't an over-the-hill Rendon or Pujols, he'll give you good production into his mid-30s. 2.9 D-WAR is the greatest defensive season of all time. Defensive SS on Correa's level don't fall off until their 35+ barring catastrophic injuries. I say pay the man, give JV the QO and let him walk, let Grinkie walk, and try to extend Yordan and/or Tucker to extentions similar to Lance's. Sure, the contract won't be very good when he's 37, but neither will the Astros be most likely. Everyone's acting like they're run by George still and not Hal. George treated baseball as a way to win. Hal sees the Yankees as a business.
