Five Reasons Astros Should Consider a Carlos Correa Reunion

The ability to sign Correa would hinge on if the Astros choose to spend money to re-sign Justin Verlander or not.

Whether the Astros shell out money to Correa will depend on if they prefer to spend big to retain Justin Verlander, who almost assuredly is going to exercise his player option at the end of the year considering he is a front runner for the Cy Young Award and will want to make more than a paltry $25 million next season.

If Verlander does not re-sign with the Astros, they will have some wiggle room financially, especially because none of their important core players are up for free agency until 2025 at the earliest. Here is the portion of the Astros roster that is under team control through 2025 or beyond.

Starting Pitching: Framber Valdez (2026 FA), Luis Garcia (2027 FA), Cristian Javier (2026 FA), Lance McCullers Jr, (2027 FA) Jose Urquidy (2026 FA.)

Lineup: Jose Altuve (2025 FA) Alex Bregman (2025 FA) Kyle Tucker (2026 FA) Yordan Alvarez (2029 FA) Jeremy Pena (Currently on rookie contract)

That’s an entire cost-controlled rotation for three years, not to mention Hunter Brown waiting in the wings in case of an injury, plus five solid hitters that can be counted on to produce for two more seasons at least.

If the Astros sign Verlanded, then a Correa reunion financially is almost certainly out of the question. Verlander would want Max-Scherzer-type money provided he finishes the season healthy and on the same path he’s been on all year performance-wise.

But if Verlander goes elsewhere, there will be some extra money to go around. And with the rotation in great shape, why not upgrade the offense if you have the chance? It would ensure that none of their AL competitors would have Correa on their roster anyhow.