HOUSTON — Carlos Correa, the Houston Astros’ All-Star shortstop, was playing video games on a PlayStation 4 console late Thursday when he found out that his team had acquired Justin Verlander, one of baseball’s most decorated pitchers, in a trade with the Detroit Tigers. He threw his controller into the air.
“I was that excited that I broke my controller and couldn’t play anymore,” said Correa, who was on a rehabilitation assignment with the Astros’ Class AA affiliate when he heard the news. Three days later, he would be back with the big league team, which has the best record in the American League and ever-growing prospects for bringing Houston its first World Series title.