Carlos Correa is set for free agency after the 2021 season and rumors of course will start to come up about his possible availability in trade. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic notes today that the Astros have interest in Yankees free agent DJ LeMahieu, in the event that they were to trade Correa this winter. From Rosenthal's story this morning:
"Any Astros interest in LeMahieu, meanwhile, would hinge on whether the team can trade shortstop Carlos Correa, enabling Alex Bregman to move to short and opening up third. The Astros, according to sources, are again floating Correa in trade discussions, knowing it is unlikely they will sign him before he reaches free agency at the end of the season.
A trade of Correa, combined with the expected loss of Springer, would leave the Astros down two superstars — three if you count right-hander Justin Verlander, who is likely to miss the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. LeMahieu could help fill the void, but agents say the Astros are balking at signing any free agents who received qualifying offers, not wanting to sacrifice another draft pick after losing their top two choices in both 2020 and ‘21 as part of their penalties for illegal sign stealing.
LeMahieu to Houston, then, would appear unlikely, but at this early stage of the offseason teams are exploring a wide range of options, playing the what-if game. Surprising moves are coming. It’s just a matter of when."