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Astros Star Carlos Correa Reportedly Had Been 'Clamoring' for Move to Third Base

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI | By Brad Wakai | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 8:36 PM ET

The Houston Astros pulled off what was the most shocking move of the trade deadline list year; acquiring their former superstar Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins.

When he departed in free agency, it seemed like he was never going to come back, especially because it was rumored that he loved being in Minnesota and wouldn't waive his no-trade clause for just any move.

But going back to the Astros wasn't any other move. It's the place that drafted him No. 1 overall back in 2012 and where he became the AL Rookie of the Year winner, a two-time All-Star and, more importantly, a World Series champion.

When Houston was seriously pushing to make the trade, Correa was excited for the opportunity, returning to his first team and joining a playoff contender with the Twins pulling the plug on their season and short-term future.

However, it sounds like there was another major reason why Correa was willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Astros.

Carlos Correa Has Been Wanting To Play Third Base

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When the deal was first announced and it was revealed that Correa was going to take over at third base in the absence of 2025 All-Star Isaac Paredes due to his hamstring injury, there were skeptics out there who didn't believe third base was going to be Correa's long-term position.

But according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic (subscription required), moving over to the hot corner and out of shortstop is something the 30-year-old has been wanting to do for a while.

"Correa has been clamoring to play third base for the past two seasons. Since the Astros made it possible, Correa has described how much fresher he feels after games, crediting the decrease in movement and activity at third base. He even played three consecutive games on artificial turf at loanDepot Park — something Correa said he could not do across the past three seasons at shortstop," the insider shared.

How Carlos Correa Impacts Astros Going Forward

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If this shift helps Correa stay healthy, then the Astros might have just added a huge difference maker to their roster for the remainder of the season and for at least the next three years with vesting options for the next four after that.

The veteran infielder was showing signs of decline in Minnesota, slashing .267/.319/.386 with seven home runs and 31 RBI across 93 games for an OPS+ that was below the league average of 100. But since coming back to Houston, he has slashed .338/.390/.465 in 17 games for an OPS+ of 136, belting two home runs with 10 RBI.

Getting that level of production going forward would be a huge boost for the Astros, especially if Jeremy Pena can find the form he had before he got hurt and Yordan Alvarez returns at some point before the end of the regular season.