The Minnesota Twins were in a sweeping mode at this trade deadline. Apparently, no one was off limits. From their All-Stars and world series champion to their homegrown player and heart of the club, they pulled off a blockbuster shake-up, shipping 10 active major leaguers and 11 from their 40-man roster, all in one bold move that saved them $26 million.

The most deeply layered trade they pulled was that of Carlos Correa with the Houston Astros. As per Bob Nightengale’s initial revelation, the Astros were pushing hard for Correa’s return. It was so relentless that they considered including $60 million star veteran first baseman Christian Walker in Correa’s deal.

However, Nightengale has now issued a clarification on his previous claims, stating that it was actually the Twins who had inquired about Walker, and the Astros declined to include him in the trade. “The Minnesota Twins were the ones who brought up Christian Walker in the Carlos Correa trade talks. The Astros declined,” Nightengale posted on X.

As part of the agreement, the Twins agreed to pay $33 million of the approximately $103.4 million remaining on Correa’s contract, significantly reducing the financial burden on the Astros. The trade was largely viewed as a salary dump for the financially struggling Twins.

The reacquisition of Correa would create an infield logjam for Houston, with plans for Correa to play third base, Jeremy Peña at shortstop, and Isaac Paredes potentially moving to first base. This makes Walker, who signed a three-year, $60 million contract, a potential trade candidate. But by declining to include him in the Correa deal, the Astros retained control of Walker as a trade asset. They can now shop him during the offseason, seeking a more favorable return rather than simply using him to offset salary in the trade with the Twins

Walker’s first year with the Astros wasn’t his best, recording a .237 batting average with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs. But then again, he’s a three-time gold glove winner, which reflects that his defensive reputation across the league is high.

Coming back to Correa, does it make you wonder how exactly the Astros landed him?

Astros owner Jim Crane’s role in the Carlos Correa trade

Unlike any other trade, Carlos Correa’s trade wasn’t about the front office making calls with one another. It all started on a golf course. The trade saga began back during Hall of Fame weekend in Cooperstown. The Astros owner, Jim Crane, was simply playing his usual round of golf with the Twins legend Joe Mauer.

Somewhere along the line, Crane brought up the idea of bringing Carlos Correa back to the Houston Astros. After all, that’s where he spent the first seven years of his big league career. Notably, the Twins were deep in debt for about $440 million. At the same time, they were shopping the franchise for $1.7 billion, and with that in mind, Crane saw an opportunity.

When he went back to Houston, he asked GM Adana Brown to reach out to the Minnesota Twins. The Astros made the offer that was inclusive of Correa and an outfielder, and the catch was that they wanted the Twins to cover half of Correa’s $103 million remaining contract. It was funny to Correa’s agent, Scott Boras, who just laughed it off, and the Twins were also not interested.

However, Crane didn’t stop trying. And somehow, he succeeded. The Twins’ president of baseball operations, Derek Falvey, sat down with Correa and shook hands to waive his no-trade clause. The team agreed to cover his remaining $33 million salary spread across the contract, and that’s how the trade materialised!

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