Correa, Astros at impasse on contract extension.
Star shortstop says he’s preparing ‘to be a free agent’ after this season
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Contract extension talks between Carlos Correa and the Astros are dormant, and the shortstop said he is “preparing like I’m going to be a free agent” at season’s end.
During a candid but cheerful Zoom call after the Astros’ 3-2 win against the Cardinals on Thursday night, Correa said the Astros offered him a six-year extension worth around $120 million. The offer came around two weeks ago, Correa said, and “there was no conversation after that.” Correa characterized the club’s offer as “really low.”
“We haven’t spoken about a possible extension since then,” Correa said.
“I’m preparing like I’m going to be a free agent (at the end of ) this year.”
Speaking seven days away from his self-imposed deadline to get a deal done, Correa said he will “absolutely not” soften his stance on negotiating during the regular season. The Astros are scheduled to open their season on April 1 against the A’s.
“Once the season starts and I start playing, I’m playing my last season before I become a free agent,” Correa said. “For me, it doesn’t make any sense to be dealing while I’m trying to focus, trying to perform and trying to help my team win ballgames.”
Correa expressed little confidence a deal could manifest between now and then. He seemed disgusted, perhaps even amused, by Houston’s first offer. It bore a striking resemblance to the six-year, $120 million contract extension Xander Bogaerts signed with the Boston Red Sox in 2019.
Bogaerts signed the deal as a 25-year-old with one All-Star appearance under his belt. Correa is 26, won a Rookie of the Year award in 2015 and garnered his only All-Star appearance in 2017. Bogaerts was worth 15.6 bWAR between the 2013-18 seasons, before he signed the extension. Correa currently is worth 26.2 bWAR.
“The first offer, I thought, was really low,” Correa said. “If that’s how they feel about me and that’s where we stand, then I guess I will go out there and play and try to win a championship for the city of Houston before free agency.”
Correa has toed a pragmatic line since January, proclaiming his affinity for the Astros and desire to stay in the city of Houston while acknowledging the price must be right. If he reaches free agency, Correa will be the youngest player available in a stacked shortstop class. If he remains healthy in 2021 and produces elite numbers, he could command a deal bigger than any in Astros history.
“When I share my feelings toward the city and toward the team, obviously, I loved what we built here,” Correa said. “Been a part of it since I got drafted in 2012 when the team was losing 111 games. I kind of feel like I’m one of the leaders of the team, and obviously, I love everything about this organization but, at the same time, I know what I’m worth, and I understand the business. I’m educated on this matter. I would love to stay, but it also has to be the right deal.”
On Wednesday, the Astros rewarded starter Lance McCullers Jr. — Correa’s close friend — with a five-year, $85 million contract extension. Correa called it a deal that represents “what he’s worth.” Correa insisted he has no hard feelings toward the Astros for the trajectory these talks with him have taken.
“I understand the business and I know how it goes,” Correa said. “There’s never emotions involved. I’ve given five, six years of my career to this organization — Rookie of the Year, All-Star Games, World Series champions, multiple great playoff performances. If they don’t see me here long-term, then another team will. It’s never hard feelings. It’s a business. It’s how it works. That’s that.”