Carlos Correa Says He'd 'Love to Be an Astro for Life' Entering Contract Year

Carlos Correa will be eligible for free agency after the upcoming season, but the former American League Rookie of the Year wants to stay with the Houston Astros for a long time. 

Appearing on Sportsline 790, Correa said he would "love to be an Astro for life" if given the option:

The Astros have seen a number of key players leave as free agents over the past two years. Gerrit Cole signed with the New York Yankees after the 2019 season. George Springer agreed to a six-year, $150 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays this week, per MLB Network's Jon Heyman. 

Houston did retain one of its marquee players, with ESPN's Buster Olney reporting on Wednesday that Michael Brantley agreed to a two-year extension worth $32 million. 

Correa has spent his entire career in the Astros organization after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He won AL Rookie of the Year in 2015 and helped the franchise win its first World Series title in 2017. 

Heading into this season, Correa still hasn't signed a contract with the Astros. He asked for $12.5 million and the Astros offered $9.75 million, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). They are likely headed toward an arbitration hearing in February, but the two sides could come to an agreement before then. 

Injuries hampered Correa's performance from 2017-19. He missed 192 games in those three seasons combined. The 26-year-old has hit .257/.335/.452 with 41 homers and 149 RBI in 243 games since the start of 2018.