Oddly, I wasn't too depressed when I first saw the news late, late, late Friday night that Carlos Correa was signing a 3-year deal (in reality a 1-year deal) with the Twins. Honestly, I was just relieved it was over. It was basically over when heading into the 2021 season the Astros gave him a laughably bad offer (something like 6yr/$120mm) and Correa cut off talks. It was obvious for all but a couple days when Correa wasn't getting the long term he was after and was willing to put up a short deal to re-hit free agency.
No, the writing on the wall was there a long time ago, but even more than all of that, the reason I was good Correa leaving is because we achieved a lot, enough, and it was a legacy fulfilled.
To be honest, you can argue that while he became an all star and a great player, Correa never truly lived up to his ridiculous hype - mostly due to injuries. He was great, he hit a lot of home runs, he grew into a great shorstop, he did all of right, but it was never the MVP player I expected him to be. He will be missed for sure - the Astros now suddenly with a whole to fill, but while Correa the player may not have lived up to my way-too-high expectations, Correa the idea certainly did.
The moment it crsytallized is when he was called up in 2015, after three-plus great seasons in the minors. He was a phenom that first season in 2015, a year where the Astros broke through and made the playoffs a year early. Correa was the center of attention, his being drafted being the Astros at their lowest trough, and his call-up and success the start of their greatest stretch.
Correa the symbol became Correa the legend with his performances in the 2017 playoffs, hitting a walkoff hit against the Yankees in Game 1 of the ALCS, hitting two huge home runs in Games 2 and 5 of the World Series. Correa was the leader of the team, despite being just 22 at the time. It set-off an incredible run of success, with the Astros making the ALCS five straight times, and two more World Series - albeit losing both.
It was a brilliant four seasons from 2018-2021, even if Correa never truly became a superstar in production. It was mostly injuries hampering him in 2018, 2019 and then an off season in the shortened 2020 campaign. But when he was on the field, he was magic, the team was magic.
Carlos Correa was the hope, was the symbol, was the first piece. Over time other pieces joined him, from Bregman to Yordan to Kyle Tucker. Enough people got to a great level that the team can probably still do well with Correa gone. I'll miss him, for sure. From the energy of how he played, to those stretches where he got white hot, do his underratedly amazing throwing arm. Carlos Correa was a fabulously fun player to follow, and I'll always have a soft spot for him and truly everything he represented, from the tangible to not. The Astros fortunes turned around when they drafted Correa, and for that alone he was always be a favorite of mine.
