Astros: Jose Altuve ‘surprised’ Carlos Correa signed elsewhere

Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa had played together on the same infield since 2015. A new Astros double-play combo is going to take some getting used to.

Correa signed with the Minnesota Twins early on Saturday morning, a move very few saw coming given the star shortstop had been seeking a long-term contract, and the Twins shed payroll in a trade sending Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the New York Yankees.

Yet, all of that was a distraction of sorts — and an effort to make more money available — to sign Correa to a three-year, $105.3 million deal.

The Astros, like most baseball fans, woke up to such shocking news on Saturday morning. The deal itself was reported near 2 a.m. ET. Altuve found out on Saturday night via phone call. He wished Correa the very best.

“I was surprised. I wasn’t expecting that,” Altuve said Sunday, per ESPN. “Obviously we’re going to miss him. He’s a great player and a great guy inside the clubhouse. He was one of our leaders.”

Astros: Jose Altuve on Carlos Correa leaving for Twins

Altuve wasn’t necessary upset with Correa — he understands how the free agent market works, and it was time for the 27-year-old shortstop to get his. The two accomplished a lot together since 2015, with Altuve being named to five All-Star teams, winning a World Series and MVP award, and winning a Silver Slugger four straight seasons from 2015-18. Those numbers cannot be replicated.

“Now that he’s on another team, I’m happy for him,” Altuve said. “He got a great deal. Happy for him. I know he’s going to play good. He’s going to make the Twins better. We had dinner so many times. We spent a lot of time in rooms together talking about different things. That’s what I’m going to miss the most.”

Jeremy Pena, one of the Astros top prospects, is the frontrunner to start in Correa’s spot on Opening Day, per manager Dusty Baker.

Talk about pressure.