5 potential destinations for Carlos Correa in free agency

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers enjoyed winning the World Series in 2020, and they almost did it again in 2021 with a deep run in the NLCS. Rumors are already swirling about whether their current shortstop, Corey Seager, will stay in Los Angeles. If he doesn’t, Carlos Correa is an enticing option to replace Seager in L.A.

The Dodgers haven’t been shy to spend money in free agency, so it wouldn’t be uncommon for them to make a play at signing Correa for north of $300 million. As far as winning franchises go, Correa could move to one of baseball’s most dominant teams to continue seeing those postseason runs.

2. New York Yankees

New York’s historic franchise is always a consideration for any big free agent, and Correa is no different: he hinted at wearing blue and white pinstripes earlier this postseason.

Then, Yankees fans went wild when they saw Carlos Correa in NYC with Astros teammate Martin Maldonado. Maldonado captioned a photo of Correa saying “he’s ready.”

Is he ready to sign in New York? If they are able to make a competitive offer, it seems to be a place Correa is interested in.

1. Houston Astros

More than anyone else, the Houston Astros need to court Correa in free agency. The problem is, they may have some trouble keeping him at this point.

The Astros kicked off free agency by offering Correa a five-year, $160 million deal, or $32 million a year. Based on AAV, that’s the 10th-largest deal in baseball history, but it may not be enough for Correa. Correa is reportedly looking at a 10-year deal worth about $300 million, especially since Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor signed a 10-year deal worth $341 million this past spring.

If the Astros amount were doubled to cover 10 years, it would be $320 million, which appears to be very much within the financial range of what Correa would accept. However, players must be strategic about which teams they commit to: in five years, Correa’s value could potentially drop, and he won’t be able to secure such a lucrative deal.

The two parties are still talking, and as of Nov. 7, the deal was six years for $210 million. From all of these reports, it seems that the Astros don’t want to commit to a full decade — and that reluctance could be what keeps Correa from re-signing with Houston.