Houston Astros stars Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa will both miss the World Baseball Classic due to insurance issues.
Correa told The Athletic’s Chandler Roman on Tuesday that he will not represent Puerto Rico in the upcoming game after speaking with Astros owner Jim Crane. Correa is unable to obtain insurance under his current contract with the team. Therefore, if he misses any games due to the injury sustained in the World Baseball Classic, he risks losing his regular season salary.
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Correa has dealt with numerous injuries in recent seasons, including a sprained ankle, tight back and a concussion last year. He will make $31 million next season for Houston.
“I’m definitely frustrated because I’ve been working hard this offseason to prepare to get better this year and get ready early so I can be ready for the WBC,” Correa told The Athletic. “I also understand the business side of it and the risk of playing the game without insurance is too great.”
Correa, who was traded by the Astros before last season’s deadline, batted .290 with six homers and 21 RBIs in 51 games with Houston.
Altuve faces a similar situation. The Astros second baseman will not play for Venezuela “at the Astros’ request” due to a lack of insurance.
“Jim called me and told me he wanted me to focus on the team and spring training, and obviously he traded me to win a championship here and we had so many injuries as a team. [in 2025],” Correa said via The Athletic.
Altuve, who has spent his entire career with the Astros, batted .265 with 26 homers and 77 RBIs last season, his 15th season in the league. The 35-year-old is expected to make $33 million next season, the second of a five-year, $125 million contract.
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Altuve underwent surgery on his right foot in November but is expected to be ready for spring training. The Astros went 87-75 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Insurance companies for players in the World Baseball Classic are agreed upon in advance by Major League Baseball and the players union. The issue is similar to what happened with Clayton Kershaw and Miguel Cabrera ahead of the 2023 championship game. Kershaw ultimately did not play in the event after being deemed uninsurable. Cabrera still played despite not being insured, though that may be because the Detroit Tigers chose to guarantee his deal anyway.
The first rounds of the World Baseball Classic are scheduled for March 5-17 and will be played in Tokyo, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Houston. The semifinals and championship game will be held in Miami.
