MLB Draft Tracker 2012: Astros Thinking Long Term with Carlos Correa at No. 1

The Houston Astros shocked the baseball world and threw most draftniks for a loop on Monday by taking Carlos Correa with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 MLB draft. The 'Stros chose the big shortstop out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy over the likes of Stanford pitcher Mark Appel and Georgia high-school outfielder Byron Buxton.

And while the move may seem surprising on the surface, the addition of Correa makes plenty of sense when you consider Houston's current situation.

For one, the Astros' minor-league system is among the thinnest in all of baseball, even after exchanging Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence for prospects at the trade deadline last year. That lack of talent down on the farm likely means that Houston is at least a few years away from putting a winner out on the diamond, even though the team is already well on its way to besting last year's franchise-worst 56-106 record.

It's hardly out of the realm of possibility, though, that the 'Stros will see another dip in their win total next year, when they move from the mediocre National League Central to the top-heavy American League West. More importantly, competing in a division with powerhouses like the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will make contending for a spot in the playoffs that much more challenging.

This makes careful planning that much more important for the 'Stros. If they're going to make the postseason, they'll either need to wait for the Rangers and the Angels to flame out down the line (unlikely) or find potential superstars that they can groom into franchise cornerstones.

And that's exactly what they found themselves in Carlos Correa, the first-ever No. 1 pick out of Puerto Rico. The 6'4, 190-pounder has the look of an Alex Rodriguez or a Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop, as far as his frame, bat and glove are concerned, and he is all of 17 years old to boot. That combination of youth and spectacular tools makes Correa a prime candidate to be in the majors by his 20th birthday, assuming he develops as expected.

If not, Correa should still have plenty of time to grow into a star at shortstop for the 'Stros.

There's no word as of yet as to how much signability factored into Houston's decision, though it won't matter once Correa joins the big club and boosts Houston's hopes of battling for a place in the postseason at some point down the line. 

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