Carlos Correa Immediately Asked for Easier Position from Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins shocked the baseball world when they signed Carlos Correa to a three-year deal in 2022. He didn’t have the market that was expected. The star shortstop joined on what effectively was a one-year chance to reset his market.

After a solid season, he opted out and hit free agency again. He then agreed to a long-term contract with the New York Mets as a 28-year-old. The caveat is they had a better shortstop in Francisco Lindor. Correa would willingly take the downgrade to the hot corner.

Of course both the Mets, and later San Francisco Giants, failed him for physical concerns. He signed a six-year deal with the Twins, but shortstop was seemingly never his goal.

Third base was where Correa wanted to be with MN Twins

When the Minnesota Twins traded Carlos Correa back to the Houston Astros in a complete salary dump on Thursday, a key piece was his desire to play third base. Jeremy Peña had taken over and the veteran wanted the less demanding role.

“I’ve been asking the Twins to play third base for the last two years. But it was not aligning because of how we were constructed. When (Twins general manager Derek Falvey) told me the Astros wanted me for third base, I was like, that would be perfect.”

Carlos Correa – The Athletic

Manager Rocco Baldelli confirmed that to be the case with the Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale on Saturday. The request first happened in 2023.

“He brought up the question of playing third base after seasons ended, so he could prepare if it were to happen going forward. As we know, finding good shortstops, it’s a very difficult thing to do. It was something that we thought about and considered, but we didn’t necessarily have the ability to do with the way our infield fit together. For [Correa’s] time with us, he played a very good shortstop. To move a guy off shortstop who is playing a really good shortstop for you, we weren’t going to do that.”

Rocco Baldelli – Star Tribune

This whole situation becomes more laughable and frustrating towards Correa as more information comes out. To ask out of the premier defensive position he signed to play after the first year of his new contract had to be crazy for Minnesota to hear.

Of course in 2023 Correa dealt with plantar fasciitis, and despite playing 135 games, posted a below average 94 OPS+ with declining defensive metrics (-2 DRS -1 OAA). He then suffered the same malady in the other foot the next season. A good amount of the root cause was a stubbornness related to his footwear, and virtually self-inflicted.

Related: Trade Gives Carlos Correa Long-Desired Position Change Twins Couldn’t

For Correa to almost immediately expect Minnesota to have an heir apparent for a player they just invested $200 million in is laughable. To read the room and see the defensive limitations of Royce Lewis, and his own injury fallout while continuing to press the issue is borderline goofy.

Astros get a guy who clearly wanted home

It’s not Carlos Correa’s fault that he was sold a bill of goods the Pohlad family never allowed the front office to cash in on. Similarly to how the same group handled Joe Mauer, the Pohlad’s spent big then stopped investing and said it was enough.

Correa put up with that for a time. When the Astros opened the door, and the Twins indicated being open to eating salary, there was no putting the genie back in the bottle. From Bob Nightengale’s first report, Correa was gone.

Carlos Correa’s first hit since being traded away to the Astros:

pic.twitter.com/yNhls1fGps

— Matthew Taylor (@MatthewTaylorMN) August 2, 2025

He had shown a lesser desire as a competitor in asking for an easier position after changing organizations for just a single season. Correa wants the situation to be reflective of opportunity, and then he’ll respond in kind.

Now he has that with Houston. He’s been downgraded defensively. He remains the same leader, but can he prove capable of picking up play that has warranted a look in the mirror since Opening Day? The shortstop left Minnesota with a career-worst 92 OPS+. Maybe a less demanding defensive role will help him to find it again.