Carlos Correa, Nolan Arenado Trades Reportedly Being Explored by Astros amid Rumors

An injury to Isaac Paredes has the Houston Astros scrambling to find a potential replacement at third base prior to the trade deadline.

Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Astros are exploring the possibility of bringing back Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins or dealing for Nolan Arenado of the St. Louis Cardinals.

ESPN's Jeff Passan noted the Twins and Astros have had discussions about Correa, but the two sides are "far apart" with no deal close at this time.

Paredes, an All-Star this year, has been out of action since July 19 when he suffered a strained hamstring running to first base in a game against the Seattle Mariners.

Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters on Sunday that Paredes' injury is "a little bit more severe than we projected" and they were seeking a second opinion to determine next steps.

The loss of Paredes has left a huge void in the middle of Houston's lineup. He is hitting .259/.359/.470 and leads the team with 19 homers.

Yordan Alvarez, who hasn't played since May 2 due to a hand injury, is slowly starting to work his way back. Jeremy Peña is also on the injured list with a fractured rib, but he could return as soon as this week after starting his rehab assignment on Tuesday.

A reunion with Correa would be interesting in part because it goes against the recent philosophy of Houston's ownership and front office. The group has tended to avoid going all-in on big-money contracts, which has led to players like Correa and Alex Bregman leaving via free agency in recent years.

Correa is guaranteed $96 million from 2026 to '28 with vesting options every year from 2029 to '32. The price tag is especially high considering he is on pace for his second season with fewer than 2.0 fWAR in the past three years (1.1 in 93 games).

The Astros could potentially get the Twins to pay some of Correa's contract to help facilitate a deal. Correa was originally drafted No. 1 overall by Houston in 2012 and spent the first seven years of his big-league career with the club.

Arenado is in a similar spot to Correa in terms of total value, but the finances would be less prohibitive to making a deal come together. He is owed a total of $31 million over the next two seasons after 2025.

However, Arenado has a full no-trade clause that would have to be waived. He already invoked his no-trade clause to block a deal to Houston in December, though that was when it looked like the Astros were closer to rebuilding than contending because they had just traded Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs.

The Astros are currently in first place in the AL West with a 61-47 record.