I’m far too old to be sentimental about baseball. Or, because I’m old I can’t help but be sentimental about baseball. In this case, CC. Very glad for him that he is getting paid. Very glad we will likely never face him again in a meaningful game. But always will be disappointed his career will be more Giant than Astro.
Biggio. Bagwell. Altuve. Far too few play all of their games in an Astros uniform. Carlos could have been standing next to them. Alas, modern day baseball. $385 million reasons why Altuve is such a rare bird in today’s game.
Yes, Carlos could have been an Astro great and was offered a lucrative contract to be just that but money and greed made him do other things. That is why he will never be an Astro great and should never be included in a conversation comparing him to Biggio, Bagwell, or Altuve.
Correa was a great player for the Astros and has leadership qualities, but he managed to bore me to tears during the FA signing period last year with his maudlin act.
He could have been an Astros legend and a Houston sports legend - in the pantheon of great players and great citizens. He could have won multiple championships and numerous individual awards all while having the time of his life playing with lifelong friends and becoming richer than Croesus. But The Number got him and now he’s just a soulless vagabond chasing dollar signs.
While empathizing with your sentiments, players who turn down enormous jack in favor of loyalty or fealty to a team and city are a rare exception. A franchise that navigates successfully around and through that reality as Houston has is commendable.
Counterpoint: If you are going to be walking around with $385M in your pocket, the Bay Area is not a bad place to do it. Lots of people in that area have more $$ than sense and revel in that me-first hedonistic culture so he’ll be right at home.
True but that was never his endgame. He wanted to be the highest paid shortstop. It took him one contract and one season to get the highest single year amount and a 13 contract to get the highest total amount for one contract. Heard he could have signed with SF for 10 years $300 but he parlayed for a 13 year contract because he needed extra $50 million to achieve his largest total contract goal. Admittedly 3 years for $50 ain’t chicken feed anyway. I’m tired of him and probably wont mention him again, unless it for something he did in a game.
ETA: Lindor’s contract was for $342 million, Tatis’ was for $340 million.
And the notion that he’ll just slide over to 3rd eventually is all well and good as long as you don’t mind having an aging player on the hot corner who has never hit 30 HRs in a season.
Much fun has been made of the length of this contract. Like people saying how old they will be when it ends. For some perspective, it ends in 2035, the same year that sees the end of Bobby Bonilla’s contract with the Mets.
I have a differing opinion which some of you might not like…
I don’t blame Carlos Correa at all. If you had the opportunity to get an offer of 5 years $160 million but thought you could get a better offer that paid you longer, would you NOT do seek the better offer? Would pass on 13 year $350 million offer because of loyalty? This is an opportunity to obtain generational wealth that could help his entire family back in Puerto Rico, where they can’t even keep the electricity going. Professional sports franchises put the organization first. There are times where you have to put YOU first and this is the moment I’d choose myself before anything else. Correa played his hand correct. Just be happy he helped create a dynasty while he was here, something no Houston sports franchises has ever delivered until now.