If it feels like you're in the middle of a psychedelic fever dream reading that first paragraph, it's completely understandable. It's unfathomable how many big stars have left this city over the last two years, names like Hopkins, Clowney, Watt, Springer, Cole, Harden and Westbrook. However, the true faces of the Texans and Astros franchises for the next decade were supposed to be Watson and Correa.
The fact that both are leaving, understanding that each has totally different circumstances swirling around his departure, is sad enough. The fact that Watson orchestrated a trade to the BROWNS, and Correa is signing a pretty reasonable, low risk deal with the TWINS.... again.... fever dream.
So which was the bigger "WTF, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" swerve this past Friday? Deshaun Watson getting traded to the Browns, or Carlos Correa signing a three-year deal (with opt-outs after each season) with the Minnesota Twins? Let's do a Tale of the Tape, shall we?
New team's title chances
Even if, for whatever reason, you don't have Watson or Correa among your favorite athletes, you still have to admit that both are fierce competitors who are capable winners. My guess is both thirst for a championship in 2022 in their respective sports. Watson is in a great position to accomplish that, with a really good roster, solid offensive line, good defense, and capable front office. Correa is going to a team that Vegas predicts will win 77 games next season. The Twins are a fringe playoff team, at best, with Correa. Correa's decision is definitely a stranger one in this category.
BIGGER SWERVE: CORREA
Geography of the new team
Forget about the franchises, I would not have guess that either of these two CITIES would have been desired locales for Watson or Correa. For Watson, a guy who was ready to approve a trade to a 1-7 Dolphins team because he liked South Beach, Cleveland is, well, the opposite of South Beach. Also, the wind coming off the lake will make leading the league in passing yardage an issue, too. For Correa, Minnesota is a strange place to envision him going, but before you bring up the subarctic temperatures of the Twin Cities, keep in mind, baseball season runs April through early October. Correa is probably not buying a house in Minneapolis. He is literally a six month soldier of fortune. When you peel the layers back, Correa's geographic decision makes more sense.
BIGGER SWERVE: WATSON
How weird do they look in their new uniform?
Here you go.....
BIGGER SWERVE: CORREA (by a wide margin)@TeamCJCorrea in his new uniform👀 #Twins pic.twitter.com/VhlNkXRTUK
— AstroAly (@DanSeluk) March 19, 2022
Does the contract make sense?
Carlos Correa was kind of a victim of a couple things — the lockout and the market sort of drying up underneath him. His decision is a prudent one, albeit one that probably has him swallowing his pride a little bit. Once the lockout ended, any cursory analysis of the shortstop market showed Correa wasn't getting the 10 year deal he was seeking. He may get it next offseason, and this contract gives him the flexibility to try, all while getting the highest ANNUAL salary of any infielder ever. Watson's getting the highest guarantee in NFL history, WHILE under contract already, WHILE being sued by 22 civil plaintiffs, AFTER not having played for a season blew EVERYBODY away.
BIGGER SWERVE: WATSON
Pure fan emotion factor
So we are tied at two categories apiece, so how do we break the tie? I could come up with some silly throwaway category like "Who has the better looking significant other?" or something like that (NOTE: Both have gorgeous significant others.), but I think good, old fashioned, analysis of emotion is the better route. This is a post on a Houston outlet, so which of these decisions just cut you to the emotional quick? Which one was just a visceral gut punch? To me, it's a no brainer — the Watson thing was a swerve because everyone here had their heart set on getting Atlanta's 8th overall pick in the draft in a trade, but the Correa thing was a swerve because, not only was it the Twins, but unlike Watson, there was a chance that Carlos Correa could return to the Astros. Or so we thought. Obviously not the case. So, winner of this category....
BIGGER SWERVE: CORREA
And winner of the bigger swerve....
BIGGER SWERVE WINNER: CARLOS CORREA
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