Astros: 3 players who can still return to Houston after lockout

Carlos Correa

The Astros need a shortstop and Carlos Correa still needs a team. Why not negotiate a deal to reunite what has been an incredibly successful pairing between Correa and Houston?

Correa’s free agency hasn’t been all that great for him.

With some recent injury reports, Correa’s value on the market probably isn’t what it should be. The long-term contract offers that are in the ballpark of $300 million probably won’t be showing up. That might present the Astros with the perfect opportunity to offer Correa a bit of a compromise contract that both parties can be potentially satisfied with.

Finding a way to bring Correa back to Houston would certainly do wonders for extending the Astros’ championship window. He’s a dynamic talent who, when healthy, is among the best players on the field across the league.

The Astros might still need to pay more than they initially wanted, but getting Correa back would be big for this team and the way it’s currently assembled.

That’s especially true if they can get the talented shortstop to come down on his asking price a bit. A 10-year deal likely doesn’t work for Houston, but a five-year contract (or maybe even a seven-year deal) would probably be more appealing to the Astros’ front office given Correa’s injury history.