Why the Astros are already out on Carlos Correa

The Houston Astros lost Carlos Correa during his free agency in the pre-season. He’s likely entering free agency again, and the odds don’t seem strong that he’ll end up back in Houston.

The Houston Astros parted ways with shortstop Carlos Correa in the pre-season during his free agency. He’s likely opting out of his three-year contract with the Minnesota Twins after this season, but the Astros probably won’t have Correa on their team again.

The Astros currently have rookie Jeremy Peña as their starting shortstop, who is much cheaper than Correa and is producing roughly equal results. Peña is currently making $700K per year, and Correa is making $35.1 million, which may increase during free agency.

Houston should hold onto the opportunity to save a significant amount of money for roughly the same results.

Astros rookie Jeremy Peña may be a good replacement for Carlos Correa

The Astros are roughly league average in the lineup this season. They have the 17th-best batting average (.242) and 12th-best on-base percentage (.317). Their slugging percentage and OPS are, however, well above league average. They have the fifth-best slugging percentage (.423) and seventh-best OPS (.740).

They undoubtedly have power in the lineup, but they still have room to improve. However, Correa leaving didn’t seem to have much of a negative impact on the team. This season, he’s hitting .263/.339/.425 for an OPS of .764.

Peña is hitting just slightly below at .249/.290/.422 for an OPS of .712. If he cleans up his OBP, he could be just as good as Correa. This is Peña’s first season in the majors, so his best years are likely waiting ahead.