HOUSTON — When the words “Trade Approved” appeared on the screen recording the deal between the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins on July 31, 2025, the entire baseball world exploded: Carlos Correa, the 2017 hero and Astros icon, had waived the “no-trade clause” to return to his old home. This was more than just a trade – it was the sign of an unprecedented upheaval.
The “homecoming” was carefully planned, as if Houston had been waiting for this moment for a decade. Having been with the team since 2015, leading the Astros to their first World Series championship in 2017, Correa now returned with the mindset of a mature warrior. At Daikin Park, the crowd was filled with a mixture of past glory and a promising future.
Correa’s emotional confession after his first meeting with the board left no one in Houston calm: “The team is family. This is my home. And here, the only goal is always the same: to win.”
Correa’s return has transformed half the Astros’ roster into a completely new structure. Former teammates José Altuve and Alex Bregman, now on opposing sides in Boston, will witness the returnee’s spirited return in front of a national audience. And behind them, the No. 1 ranked player by many experts – Correa – will be the “main firepower” for the second time in his Astros career.
CEO Dana Brown said dryly on Thursday: “We’re not just bringing back a shooter, we’re bringing back a symbol of his culture. It marks a turning point for the organization and the city.” And Sean Jupiter, a New York-based baseball analyst, was adamant: “Correa isn’t just a signing, he’s a symbol. Houston just bet their entire 2025 future on this guy.”
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