Heyman: The Houston Astros renew Carlos Correa to MLB minimum, is it the right move?
There is a lot to be optimistic about as a Houston Astros fan. We have a team that appears to be geared up for a deep playoff run. They have a core group of young hitters in George Springer, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, and Carlos Correa. A.J. Reed could be joining this club soon, but the future is bright. If the Astros play their cards right, they can keep this group together.
The front office did the right thing by extending Altuve, who is still under contract through 2019. The Astros were rumored to have tried to extend Springer so he could get promoted, but he chose to trust himself. Springer and the Astros settled on a $3.9 million salary to avoid arbitration. The front office will have to find a way to retain him past his team control of 2020.
The comes the boy wonder, Correa. We have yet to see the best of Correa, who could breakout this season. Correa is under team control through 2021, so you could see the Astros working on an extension after the season. They should offer him a little more now to pay less later. The Astros spent a few bucks this offseason to add some veteran depth. So, you can see why the Astros would look for other ways to save a buck or two.
Correa’s 2017 salary.
According to Jon Heyman, the Astros have renewed Correa for the major league minimum salary. This salary is $535,000, which is lower than Teoscar Hernandez, if he makes the team, according to Heyman. Granted, the team has the right to offer what they want, but Heyman made it a big deal.
Heyman has been villainized by Houston fans with his harsh word on now Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell. There may be some bitterness as apparently, he has blocked several Astros fans on Twitter. After writing an article about Correa, he took to Twitter to talk further about the decision. He Tweeted that the Astros overpaid Josh Reddick $20 million but saved a couple hundred thousand on Correa.
Even Altuve has to be saying to himself, I’m making this much and Yulieski Gurriel is making this much. Correa knows that his time will come, it’s a process. Not sure if this will affect further negotiations, but the Houston Astros have decided to go cheap now. Maybe they have a handshake agreement, we pay you less now, and pay you more later.
More from Climbing Tal's Hill
- Just how much better is the Houston Astros playoff rotation than the rest?
- Houston Astros: A Lineup Change to Spark Offense
- Astros prospect Hunter Brown throws 6 shutout innings in debut
- Always faithful Astros World Series champion Josh Reddick defends the title
- Michael Conforto declines Astros’ 2-year, $30 million offer
Assuming Correa has the year that we expect, the Houston Astros need to try to lock him up to a Mike Trout-like contract. Some people forget, the Astros drafted Correa to save some pool money to pay Lance McCullers above slot value. Correa does have the Addidas contract, so he is not struggling for money.
Unlike some past Texans players, Correa has not let these negotiations frustrations become public. Correa has not put, pay me Jeff on his shoes. If Correa continues to progress, he could outprice himself soon. Could the team have offered him an extension and he turned it down?
The Astros won the arbitration hearing with Jason Castro last year. However, they lost Castro the following season as he signed with the Twins. Everyone knows that baseball is a business, but the eventually will have to show Correa the money. Last year Correa hit .274/ 20 hr/ 96 RBI in his second season.
Next: Astros Spring battle that no one is talking about.
Will this affect the Houston Astros resigning Correa for 2022 and beyond? Too soon to tell, but I don’t see this as big of a deal as Heyman does. All young players are at the mercy of the team. However, the Astros need to consider extending him soon. This is a non-story for now. Correa’s
***Stats from Baseball-Reference****