Astros, #1 Pick Carlos Correa Nearing $5M Deal

The Houston Astros and No. 1 draft pick Carlos Correa are close to agreeing to a deal worth nearly $5 million, sources have told Jon Heyman of CBS Sports:

One person familiar with the talks said Correa would not have OK'ed something for precisely $4 million and another person estimated the coming deal at between $4.5 million and $5 million.

Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said in a phone interview that Correa and his parents are coming to Houston Thursday, when he and agent Paul Kinzer are expected to work toward finalizing the deal. "I don't expect any difficulties,'' Luhnow said. "We hope to have a quick signing and get him onto the field, which is where he wants to be.''

Correa and his family are expected to travel to Houston on Thursday, where he and his agent Paul Kinzer will reportedly work with Astros GM Jeff Luhnow on finalizing a deal. Though new draft rules cap the amount the No. 1 overall pick can be allotted at $7.2 million, Luhnow told Heyman in a phone interview that he does not "expect any difficulties" in coming to an agreement with Correa.

The 17-year-old shortstop out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy was a surprise top pick in the draft, with expected No. 1 Mark Appel dropping all the way to eighth because of monetary issues (read: Scott Boras). At 6' 4" and 190 pounds, Correa projects to be a middle-of-the-order power bat with an impressive arm and range at shortstop.