Houston Astros third baseman Carlos Correa is confirmed to miss this Classic due to contract insurance issues.

Carlos Correa, the Houston Astros' third baseman, stated today that because no insurer will underwrite his contract, the team cannot permit his participation, so he will miss playing for Puerto Rico in this year's World Baseball Classic.

The 31-year-old Correa signed a six-year, $200 million contract with the Minnesota Twins before the 2023 season, with the latter three years still guaranteeing $92 million in total salary—$30 million paid by the Twins and the remaining $62 million by the Astros.

When he first became a free agent after the 2021 season, Correa’s health was questioned, as both the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets had concerns about his medical reports and ultimately did not finalize previously agreed contracts. However, over the past four seasons, he has played more than 135 games in three of them, only appearing 86 times in 2024 due to plantar fasciitis.

According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Correa expressed his disappointment over missing the tournament: “I’m definitely very disappointed. I’ve been preparing all offseason and was eager to play in the Classic. But I also understand the business side; the risk of playing without insurance is too high.”

Reports indicate that all players on MLB 40-man rosters must have their contracts evaluated and insured through companies jointly designated by the league and the players’ union. Notable previous cases include Clayton Kershaw and Miguel Cabrera in 2023, whose contracts were not insured; Kershaw was unable to participate, while the Tigers allowed Cabrera to play since only one year remained on his contract.

Correa is not the first player to miss this year’s Classic due to insurance issues. Boston Red Sox catcher Carlos Narvaez, who underwent knee surgery after last season, also stated he cannot represent Venezuela because of insurance problems. There were earlier rumors that Venezuela would not call up players from Japan’s professional league due to high insurance costs for this Classic.