"Astros and Twins agree on surprising trade: Carlos Correa returns to Houston"

The Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins have announced a deal that will send shortstop Carlos Correa back to Houston. Rumors about a potential reunion gained traction after third baseman Isaac Paredes suffered a significant hamstring injury. In return, the Astros sent left-handed pitcher Matt Mikulski to the Twins, who also included $33 million in the deal to cover part of Correa's salary, according to ESPN.

Position change: Per The Athletic, Correa will play third base for the Astros - a first in his career as he's always played shortstop. The only exceptions were during the World Baseball Classic when he yielded the position to Francisco Lindor, and in 2022 when he agreed to play third base to join the New York Mets (a deal that ultimately fell through). In Minnesota, he remained at shortstop.

Future puzzle: With All-Star Jeremy Peña firmly established at shortstop and Paredes (currently injured) also on the roster, the organization will have to solve the infield puzzle when Paredes returns. For now, the focus is on the present.

Recent performance and contract

At 30 years old, Correa is having his worst MLB season:

• Slash line: .267/.319/.386

• 7 HRs and 31 RBIs in 93 games

• 0.1 WAR (reflecting defensive and offensive decline)

He's still owed $92 million between 2026-2028, with club options through 2032. It's unclear whether the Twins retained any salary to facilitate the trade.

Houston history: Correa was the 2012 draft's 1st overall pick, won Rookie of the Year in 2015, and was a key piece of the 2017 World Series championship. He played seven seasons with the Astros, made two All-Star teams, but left as a free agent after 2021.

Twins in sell mode

The Correa trade headlines a series of moves by the Twins, who also dealt:

• Danny Coulombe (Rangers)

• Harrison Bader and Jhoan Duran (Phillies)

• Brock Stewart (Dodgers)

• Willi Castro (Cubs)

The deal provides financial flexibility (the Twins were hit hard by the regional sports network collapse) and clears shortstop for top prospect Brooks Lee. Correa had to waive his no-trade clause to return to Houston:

"I let them know there was only one team I would allow this for," Correa told MLB.com, citing dissatisfaction with the Twins' direction.

Current standings:

• Astros lead the AL West (62-47)

• Twins trail the third wild card by 5.5 games with six teams ahead of them (51-57) - hence their decision to sell.