Though the Houston Astros tried to extend star shortstop Carlos Correa during spring training, their best offer only got as good as six years and $125 million. By rejecting it, Correa effectively chose to bet on himself to have a huge walk year ahead of free agency.
So far, so very good.
Through 58 games, Correa is hitting a sturdy .290/.375/.500 with 11 home runs. Baseball Reference puts his wins above replacement at 2.8, which is fourth among American League position players and second to Fernando Tatis Jr. among shortstops.
At this rate, Correa would be worth well more than $125 million even as he shares the upcoming free-agent market with fellow 20-something star shortstops Trevor Story, Corey Seager and Javier Baez.