Carlos Correa trade grades: Astros reunite with star infielder while Twins shed big contract

Carlos Correa is coming home, as the Astros are bringing back their former franchise shortstop in a trade deadline shocker.

Correa has three years and over $100 million left on his contract after this season, but the Twins and Astros were able to come to an agreement on how much money each team will pay. The move gives Houston a familiar face to help make a run for another World Series championship.

Due to the size of Correa's contract, this deal is lighter on players than most, but that doesn't mean this trade wasn't big in stature. Here's a look at how each team fared.

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Carlos Correa trade grades

Astros grade: B

• Astros receive: Carlos Correa

Houston needed to replace Isaac Paredes at third base, as Paredes is out for the year with a hamstring injury, so the team turned to old friend Correa. The veteran infielder played for Houston in his first seven years in the majors and will move to third base upon his return.

Correa left Houston to join the Twins in 2022, then re-signed with Minnesota on a bigger contract in 2023. To make this deal happen, Correa had to waive his no-trade clause, and the Twins had to send some cash to Houston.

While Correa certainly fits Houston this year, the Astros' willingness to take on the final three years of the deal is more questionable. Correa is currently sporting a .704 OPS, which would be his career-low, with just seven home runs in 93 games. He has also dealt with injuries for the past few years, playing just 86 games last year.

Still, Correa makes the Astros better for the stretch run, so it's hard to criticize them too much. He's also one of the best postseason performers of this generation, which will certainly spark the team in October.

Twins grade: B+

• Twins receive: Matt Mikulski, salary relief

This version of the Twins has plateaued, so it was smart of them to get off Correa's contract before it became too much of a hindrance. Correa is trending down as a player, and with Minnesota selling this year, they took advantage of the chance they got to offload his contract, paying just $33 million of the $103 million remaining.

Still, the Twins lose one of their more reliable hitters and now must replace Correa's leadership in the locker room, which is no small feat. This move also signals that it could be a while before the Twins compete again, which is disappointing for a team that appeared to be on the rise not too long ago.

The biggest issue with this deal is that Minnesota couldn't get more prospect capital for the star infielder, as Mikulski is not a highly-regarded player. However, that is part of negotiations when Correa was only willing to accept a trade to one team.