Astros tried landing an outfielder along with Carlos Correa in Twins trade talks

The Houston Astros traded for Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. It was a one-for-one trade, which sent minor league left-handed pitcher Matt Mikulski to the Twins for Correa, with the Twins picking up $33 million of Correa's remaining deal.

But the Astros' initial trade offer for Correa looked a bit different. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Astros' initial offer, pitched by owner Jim Crane, had the Astros picking up Correa and a Twins outfielder, along with the Twins picking up $50 million of Correa's contract.

"Crane returned home and had Astros GM Dana Brown telephone the Twins to inquire if they would be willing to trade Correa and one of their outfielders to the Astros." Nightengale writes. "Oh, and could they pick up about $50 million of the remaining $103 million on Correa's contract, too? The Twins laughed and hung up." 

It's a massive deal regardless, but the Astros' initial offer would have the Twins picking up $17 million more than they eventually did, as well as adding one of their outfielders to the deal, too.

While the specific outfielder isn't mentioned, the Twins did trade one of their outfielders at the deadline in Harrison Bader. While he went to the Philadelphia Phillies and is a right-handed bat, which the Astros didn't need, there are a couple of other outfielders the Astros could've been targeting.

MORE: Astros agree to blockbuster trade with Twins for Carlos Correa

Matt Wallner, a 27-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder, could've been an option, as could Trevor Larnach, a 28-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder. Either would've been intriguing options for the Astros to land at the trade deadline.

But, instead of landing a Twins outfielder in the Correa trade, they brought in Jesus Sanchez from the Miami Marlins to be their left-handed hitting outfielder.

Houston at one point also debated adding first baseman Christian Walker to the Correa trade, but with the Twins looking to shed payroll, a deal involving Walker and his remaining $40 million contract wouldn't work.

Crane and Dana Browns initial offer for Correa was a wild one, which would've been $17 million less than they ended up owing Correa. They also didn't land one of the Twins outfielders, whether it was Larnach, Wallner, or Bader.

Instead, the Correa blockbuster was a one-for-one deal that brought the longtime Astros fan favorite home for just Mikulski and the Astros taking on $70 million as opposed to a little above $50 million proposed in their initial offer.

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