No need to breakout the jersey swap edits with Carlos Correa heading back to the Houston Astros at the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline. Brian McTaggart of MLB.com broke the bombshell news that the Astros are bringing back their longtime shortstop, who departed after the 2021 season, an All-Star campaign for Correa.
Initial reports indicate that Correa will play third base for the injured Isaac Paredes down the stretch, especially as Jeremy Pena's return is looming for the Astros in the near future.
According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the Twins are eating some of Correa's contract and the Astros are sending one prospect back as the return, High-A pitcher Matt Mikulski.
Not stopping there, though, the Astros pivoted from a reported interest in Guardians star Steven Kwan and instead pulled off another trade, as reported by McTaggart and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, to land Jesus Sanchez from the Miami Marlins. In return, they're sending pitcher Ryan Gusto to Miami, who made 24 appearances and 14 starts in Houston this season. The Astros are also sending IF Chase Jaworsky, Houston's No. 13 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and OF Esmil Valencia.
Of course, Correa's time in Minnesota has been marred somewhat by injuries, playing only 86 games last season and missing at least 20 games in the first two years of his deal, which lasts through 2028 and with team options through 2032. However, for an Astros team that won a World Series with Correa as one of the centerpieces of the oft-maligned 2017 team, this could be a huge vibes and baseball move for Houston atop the AL West.
Sanchez, meanwhile, fills what's been an inconsistent outfield this season with the Astros, including even utilizing Jose Altuve in left field in an experiment. While Sanchez isn't a star, he's been a slightly above-average bat in each of the last three seasons and in four of his five full MLB seasons.
While details are coming in, though, let's take a look at our initial grades for the Correa trade for both teams, which all will be updated with more analysis as more details continue to pour in.
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MLB trade grades: Astros bring back Carlos Correa in swap with Twins
Astros Grade: B+
I'll be completely honest, I'm not entirely moved by the addition of Correa outside of the opportunity for a homecoming to spark something in him. The reality, though, is that his health is in question and he's posted only a .704 OPS this season, which marks the second time in the last three years that the OPS has been .711 or lower. That's not exactly the highest level of addition to the offense.
At the same time, the Astros fill a clear need when it comes to the hole left by the Paredes injury and it's even less risky considering that Correa's contract won't be on Houston's books in its entirety, it's a good deal in that regard. However, it would just feel a bit better if this had been a better season at the plate for the former Astros star now coming home.
Twins Grade: D
As the Twins sold 10 players from their 26-man roster in the 24 hours leading up to the deadline, it's hard to not look at the organization with some level of disappointment and perhaps disdain. In this instance, it's the most shameless salary dump you ever saw. Minnesota is paying $33 million of Correa's remaining $102 million on his deal and is getting a 26-year-old with a 5.68 ERA in High-A this season in return. That's abysmal.
MLB trade grades: Astros add Jesus Sanchez in another deal with Marlins
Astros Grade: B
For the Astros, Sanchez isn't necessarily a huge impact bat, but he absolutely fills the void in the outfield. The cost wasn't necessarily prohibitive, which you love to see for an outfielder with versatility who's still in arbitration through the 2027 season. Sanchez has posted an OPS of .777, .731, and .740 in the past three seasons including the 2025 campaign, respectively.
With how little Houston has been able to consistently get from the outfield, Sanchez absolutely helps solidify this. Having said that, the Astros will get a higher grade on this trade if reading between the lines on this secondary deal after adding Correa turns out to be true.
By trading Gusto, who had been in the team's rotation this season, that potentially opens up a spot in the rotation. With reports indicating that Houston is still in heavy pursuit of a starting pitcher for the deadline, it would absolutely make sense if this move is a precursor to making such a deal and adding to an injury-riddled rotation. If that also comes to fruition, I'll like the Sanchez trade even more.
Marlins Grade: A-
If you're the Marlins, getting young, controllable assets has long been the name of the game, and there's quite a lot to like when it comes to Guston coming over in this trade. While his 4.92 ERA this season might not be attractive, the FIP at 4.11 is enticing in that he's been a bit unlucky, and he's also a player who was consistently effective throughout his time in Triple-A last season, posting a 3.70 ERA in 29 appearances and 26 starts.
Miami obviously isn't going anywhere close to the postseason this year, and Sanchez was an expendable piece. Moving him for another arm as they mull the idea of trading either Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera makes a world of sense. Being able to throw in a Top 15 prospect in Jaworski as well as another outfield flier in this deal for the Marlins knocks it up into a low A-grade for me.
Updates to come on this developing story.