As the Houston Astros head into the offseason facing difficult questions, both on the diamond and off, the team is reportedly considering trading All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Houston is considering dealing its star shortstop with the team facing difficult payroll decisions in the years to come.
Correa, who is under contract for just two more seasons, hit 21 home runs with 16 doubles and a .279/.358/.568 slash line last season.
The 25-year-old missed time this season with a fractured rib, suffered during a massage, and missed additional time in August with a recurring back injury.
Houston’s projected payroll for 2020 already sits at $213.7 million, per rosterresource.com. The team’s lack of payroll flexibility has also prevented the team from attempting to retain Gerrit Cole, according to the report.
Correa is projected to make nearly $8 million in arbitration, according to MLBTradeRumors.com. Rosenthal notes that packaging Correa with a larger contract, such as Josh Reddick’s $13 million salary, could net Houston a stronger return and put the team below MLB’s $208 million luxury threshold.
While injuries have prevented Correa from reaching the heights Houston enjoyed in 2017, when he posted a .941 OPS with 24 home runs, he’ll certainly attract interest from across the league if he becomes available.