"Carlos Correa eats, sleeps, and breathes the game" - When Alex Bregman wanted Astros to re-sign star shortstop after 2021 World Series loss to Braves

All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman came in as one of the hottest free agents of this offseason after declining a contract extension from the Houston Astros last year. Incidentally, he had once tried to persuade the organization to re-sign his former teammate Carlos Correa when the superstar shortstop had become a free agent after losing the 2021 World Series to the Atlanta Braves.

"He's one of the smartest baseball players in the game," Bregman spoke about Correa in the post-game press conference after the Braves thrashed the Astros 7-0 in Game 6.

"He's one of the hardest-working [teammates]. He eats, sleeps, and breathes the game. It's been, honestly, amazing to play with him, and I really hope we can sign him back because I think we got a good shot at continuing to do this for a long time if we do."

Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa have been two cornerstones for the Houston Astros over the past decade, during which they have been the most successful team. Correa was picked up by the Astros as the no. 1 overall pick of the 2012 MLB Draft, while Bregman was snapped up in the first round as the second overall pick of the 2015 MLB Draft.

Carlos Correa was the reigning American League Rookie of the Year when Alex Bregman made his debut for the Astros in 2016. The pair played an integral role in helping the franchise claim their maiden World Series title in 2017.

The Astros also reached the World Series with Correa and Bregman in 2019 and 2017, coming out second best to the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves, respectively.

Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and the Astros sign-stealing scandal

Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa were teammates for six years in Houston (Image Source: Imagn)

In November 2019, an article published by Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic uncovered that the Houston Astros had been using video cameras behind the centerfield to steal signs from the catchers of opposing teams. They then used various audio cues behind their dugout to relay to the batter what pitch was going to be thrown next.

Although former Astros outfielder Carlos Beltran was the only player named in the investigation later conducted by the MLB, the general consensus is that several others, such as Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa, also played a leading role in the nefarious project.

"We were wrong for everything we did in 2017. It's not what we stand for. It's not what we want to portray as an organization, and we were definitely wrong about all that and we feel really sorry. We affected careers, we affected the game in some way, and looking back at it, it was just bad," Carlos Correa said at the time.

"I am really sorry about the choices that were made by my team, by the organization, and by me. I have learned from this, and I hope to regain the trust of baseball fans," Alex Bregman said during a press conference at the team's spring training facility in February 2020.

Correa signed for the Minnesota Twins on a three-year, $103.5 million contract in 2022. He opted for free agency the following year before agreeing to a six-year, $200 million deal to rejoin the Twins.