Less than halfway through his six-year, $200 million contract — amid an epic sell-off at the trade deadline on Thursday — the Twins dealt Correa, one of the leaders in their clubhouse, back to the Houston Astros, where he began his career, the biggest move on a dark day for the organization.

The Minnesota Twins entered the 2023 season with big plans, signing Carlos Correa to a six-year deal and assembling a club-record $153 million payroll. Correa, a star infielder who was expected to be a cornerstone of the Twins' future,