Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander commented on the surprising signing of Carlos Correa to the Minnesota Twins over the Astros.
In mid-November, Justin Verlander agreed to a deal with the Astros, being an early piece to fall into place for their 2022 roster. A deal with Carlos Correa remained, but Houston fans scoured social media for months for any sign that Correa might stay in Houston.
With Spring Training underway, Correa finally made a late decision, and it wasn’t to remain in Houston. Correa is now with the Minnesota Twins, and even though the Astros were hoping to have him back, Verlander understands. After all, he was once in a similar positions when the Detroit Tigers traded him to the Astros in 2017. Verlander seemed pensive as he contemplated the move while speaking with media in the Astros locker room.
“Obviously he made the best decision for himself and his family, and I think at some point in everybody’s career, this is a business,” Verlander said.
“I guess I can relate a bit with the trade, the trade and free agency are a little bit different,” he continued. “It was a really difficult decision for me because of the fans and the familiarity and my teammates, but it ended up being a breath for fresh air and the right decision. I hope for Carlos’ sake that that’s how it turns out for him, and I wish the best for him in his career, but now we have to move on.”
Justin Verlander offers considerate words on surprise Carlos Correa move
As a professional and a leader in the dugout, Verlander has the mindset that any understanding player would: baseball is a business, it makes sense if Correa wanted the best deal for himself and his family, and the Astros need to put his departure out of mind quickly. It’s likely that Correa’s friends and teammates were expecting him at some point, and while it is a blow, the team needs to begin work with Correa’s immediate replacement, Aledmys Diaz.
The Correa move does offer an opportunity for the Astros, though. The Twins were believed to make a play for Trevor Story, but now, this opens up Houston to bidding on Story. Like Verlander said, this could be the best decision for Correa, but it could also turn out to be a great one for the Astros and Story.