For months, the future of Carlos Correa was one of the biggest talking points in MLB – besides the lockout, of course. The star shortstop headed towards free agency, so many teams were inevitably linked with him.
The Minnesota Twins eventually emerged victorious in the battle for Correa, leaving a huge vacancy at the Astros. However, Houston seemed to be quite prepared for his departure.
The Astros promoted Jeremy Peña, who had been waiting for his chance to become the team’s starting shortstop. Despite the pressure he has on his shoulders, Peña revealed that Correa helped him a lot for this moment.
Jeremy Peña reveals Carlos Correa’s help before Astros promotion
“I can’t play someone else’s game, I have to play mine,” Peña said, per Peter Gammons of The Athletic, via ClutchPoints. “I am who I am. But let me tell you something, I consider Carlos not only a superstar player, but a superstar person. When we were in spring training together, he helped me all the time.
“He showed me things, he told me to come talk about playing shortstop and dealing with big-league pressure. He never was worried about some kid shortstop (three years younger) coming to take his job. He knew I was just a minor leaguer hoping to play somewhere with him.”
That may be one of the reasons behind Peña’s great start to the season, besides his own talent. It also speaks highly of Correa, who in addition to being one of the best shortstops in the league, also appears to be a true leader in the locker room.
