Astros’ Chances of Retaining Carlos Correa Run Slimmer

Free agent shortstop, Carlos Correa, hires Scott Boras as his new agent, multiple reports indicate.

In the shadow of the Major League Baseball lockout, Carlos Correa made a change regarding his agent, hiring Scott Boras.

Boras Corporation has worked large contracts to the likes of Corey Seager and Gerrit Cole, respectively, in the last three years, while these numbers are likely out of the Houston Astros‘ reach.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that, before the lockout, Correa wanted between $330 million and $350 million.

His corporation now services Correa, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Lance McCullers Jr. During the regular season, Boras talked shop with Yordan Alvarez before a late-September contest.

Nothing more was reported between the two, but Alvarez is in contention for a contract, avoiding all aspects of an inevitable arbitration.

While this could hint to a strong relationship between the team’s newer front office and Boras, Correa is still bolstering his chances of making the most money he can with any team willing to offer.

"“I have made the decision to hire Boras Corporation to represent me moving forward,” Correa told ESPN. “Boras Corporation offers the highest level of baseball expertise and proven experience.”"

Since Jim Crane purchased the franchise, the Astros haven’t been big spenders on long-term contracts, which won’t help them in the Correa sweepstakes. While he has received a 10-year offer from the Detroit Tigers this offseason, the average annual value didn’t meet his wants.

This could have been a factor for the agency change. But, his former agent, Jon Rosen of WME, is in danger of losing certification to be a baseball agent, as reported by Evan Drellich of The Athletic.

Correa didn’t offer much reasoning to why he made the switch during the lockout, though. While the 27-year-old lands with the best agent in baseball, the chances of him returning to Houston are likely slimmer than they were on Nov. 2.

Correa has recently had ties to other major-league teams including the Chicago Cubs, who could be off the table once the lockout ends, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

But with Boras leading the discussions, Correa has a better chance of being one of the highest paid shortstops.

The shortstop has also been reportedly auctioning off all his Astros memorabilia this offseason, Which leaves the question, why erase the memory?

Correa has the ring and the accolades in Houston, but with a new agent and the auctioning of his game-used memorabilia, the best free agent on the market is likely signing with the team holding the largest check.