Houston Astros standouts Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa will not represent their countries in March’s World Baseball Classic because they were not able to receive insurance on their major league contracts for the event, according to a report from The Athletic.
Correa, who hasn’t represented his native Puerto Rico in the WBC since 2017, and Altuve, who represented Venezuela in the 2017 and 2023 events, were both set to return at this year’s event.
However, an outside insurance company deemed both of them uninsurable should they miss a portion of the major league season due to an injury sustained while competing in the WBC.
That means that Correa, who has battled injuries and missed over 100 games across the last four seasons, would put his $31.5 million salary for the 2026 season in jeopardy should he elect to compete anyways.
That proved to be too risky for Correa, 31, who returned to the team which took him first overall in the 2012 MLB Draft at last year’s trade deadline from the Minnesota Twins.
“I’m definitely upset because I’ve been preparing really hard this offseason to get better this year and be ready early so I can be ready for the WBC,” Correa told The Athletic.
“I also understand the business side of things and that’s too big of a risk to take, to play with no insurance.”
Altuve, 35, was reportedly requested by Astros’ ownership to not participate in this year’s WBC after his insurance request was denied. He missed the first 43 games of the 2023 major league season when he sustained a fractured thumb during that year’s WBC. He’s set to make $30 million this season and would likewise be putting that at risk should he elect to play.
