Carlos Correa knew it was time to go home.
Correa, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Astros, is back with his former team after the Twins conducted a massive selloff Thursday at the trade deadline, as the team is reportedly facing significant financial issues.
The infielder waived his no-trade clause with the Twins amid the franchise dealing away a handful of key players.
“I had some conversations with the front office in Minnesota, and we were not moving [the direction] I thought we were after making the playoffs [in 2023],” Correa told MLB.com after Thursday’s shocking trade. “And they agreed with me that it was time to move me … I let them know there was only one team I would allow that to happen.”
Correa landed with the Astros for minor league reliever Matt Mikulski (7.63 ERA in Single-A), along with $33 million to help pay down his lucrative contract that runs through 2028.
The 30-year-old has four years left in a six-year, $200 million contract he signed with Minnesota in 2023 after an agreed-upon deal with the Mets fell apart over injury concerns.
The Twins’ front office is in shambles right now, as the team is up for sale and their reported goal was to have as little salary on their books as possible to make them more attractive to potential buyers.
Some reports have speculated that the Twins’ ownership has $450 million in debt and is looking to snag a $1.7 billion price tag on the franchise.
Correa has struggled this season, tallying a career-low .705 OPS with seven home runs and 31 RBIs.
He enjoyed much more success while with Houston, winning the World Series in 2017 for a controversial Astros team that engineered a signing-stealing scandal.
The Minnesota Twins are in shambles right now as they look to sell the franchise. Getty Images
Correa, along with quality relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, were part of the selloff, with 10 players being traded away.
The Twins have just two players under contract after the 2026 season: Byron Buxton and Pablo Lopez.
