Latest Carlos Correa rumor doesn’t mean Astros are out of the running

Astros fans are more worried than ever about losing star shortstop Carlos Correa, but a recent rumor doesn’t mean they’re out of the running just yet.

Correa was reportedly shopping some game-used Astros gear of late, making it seem like he’s on his way out of Houston. At the very least, his timing was curious.

But the far more likely scenario is that Correa and his family are merely bored during the lockout, or simply selling his game-used gear for other means. As a professional athlete, that’s well within his right.

The Astros do have actual reasons to be worried about Correa’s departure, in part because they have yet to make him a competitive offer he likes. To keep arguably the best overall shortstop in baseball, Houston owner Jim Crane must up his game significantly.

Houston Astros: Will Carlos Correa leave?

The Astros gave Correa a five-year, $160 million contract offer. While that’s over $30 million per season, it’s not what Correa has asked for.

The 27-year-old wants a 10-year deal, or somewhere within that realm. Cutting the years in half isn’t a good starting point. If the Astros were to up the length of said contract to eight-to-ten years, then perhaps Correa’s camp would listen, especially at that AAV.

Corey Seager, who is of a similar age to Correa and the same position, signed a 10-year, $325 million deal with the Texas Rangers. Correa was considered the jewel of the shortstop market this offseason, so why would he take any less?

The lockout could impact Correa’s plans, and perhaps entice him to take a shorter deal, but that has yet to be reported or suggested from his camp. For now, the Astros and Correa remain far removed from any real negotiation.

That’s the problem, not Correa’s memorabilia sales.