Carlos Correa Says He's Done With the Astros

Carlos Correa, along with Jose Altuve, has been one of the faces of the intense hate (and booing) the Houston Astros have taken for their 2017 cheating scandal. Now, according to The Athletic, Correa says this is his final season with the team.

Carlos Correa tells The Athletic that this is his final season with the Astros.https://t.co/dyd59uGJes

— Climbing Tal's Hill (@astrosCTH) August 25, 2021

Before the season, Correa turned down a 5-year extension from Houston worth $125 million dollars, and he was quoted as saying “My last year with the Astros, hopefully we can win another championship,” Correa says. “I can leave this great organization with two of them.”

Is he tired of being the 'bad guy'? Watching and listening to Correa carry himself would suggest that this is not the case. He seems to revel in the vitriol he and the team take everywhere they go. 

He told The Athletic's Andy McCullough, "when we go on the road, it’s entertaining to make the fans go quiet.” And their trip into Dodger Stadium last month? The team from which the trash-can banging Astros took the World Series in 2017? The over-the-top L.A. hate really pumped him up:

"This is awesome,” Correa said. “I loved every bit of it.”

So if being the bad guy is his true nature, why would he want to leave Houston? Is it possible, that by stating his intention to leave, he is simply negotiating through the media, figuring the Astros will panic and write him a blank check?

There are several other big-name shortstop free agents this offseason, most of whom eclipse Correa in stature, including the likes of Trevor Story, Marcus Semien, Javier Baez and Corey Seager. So perhaps Correa feels he needs to get a head start on his negotiating.  

Pretty safe to say that wherever he ends up, the boos will continue to rain down. And Correa will continue to soak it in.

Photo Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports