Carlos Correa Says He Knows Final World Series AB May Have Been Last with Astros

Shortstop Carlos Correa acknowledged that Tuesday's Game 6 of the World Series may have been his final game as a member of the Houston Astros.

Correa, a pending free agent, told reporters he was thinking about the possibility of his ninth-inning at-bat being his last with the team, saying: "That's the only thing that was going through my mind, to be honest."

The veteran shortstop also addressed Astros fans, saying: "To the fans, I want to say thank you for your support. My time here was amazing. … I got here as a boy and turned into a man."

Houston entered Game 6 down 3-2 in the series and needing a win, but the Braves prevailed 7-0 and won their first World Series since 1995 in the process.

Correa has spent his entire seven-year MLB career with the Astros, but his contract is set to expire.

Originally the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 MLB draft, Correa experienced a great deal of success with the Astros from 2015 to 2021, earning two All-Star nods, a Rookie of the Year award and a World Series win.

If the 27-year-old does sign elsewhere, he saved one of his best seasons for last in Houston. In 148 games during the 2021 campaign, Correa hit .279 with a career-high 26 home runs to go along with 92 RBI and 104 runs scored.

That production was more in line with what he did during his first three MLB seasons, when he had a .288 batting average and hit 22 homers and 83 RBI per year.

Correa's production dropped off a bit over the next three seasons, but he returned to his peak just in time to cash in during free agency, whether it's with the Astros or another team.

The Puerto Rican star also performed well during the playoffs, hitting .283 with one home run, nine RBI and 10 runs scored in 16 contests.

Houston has grown accustomed to losing key players in free agency in recent years. Ace starting pitcher Gerrit Cole signed with the New York Yankees ahead of the 2020 season, and outfielder George Springer joined the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of this season.

Given everything he has contributed and meant to the Astros over the years, losing Correa would be right on par with those departures.

Correa could be part of a massively talented free-agent class, especially when it comes to shortstops, as Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Trevor Story and Javier Baez are set to be available on the open market as well.