Carlos Correa played 2018 with a deviated septum Brock Holt Jersey , inhibiting his breathing."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Houston Astros NewsGame ThreadsHouston Astros Minor LeaguesAstros Game DayPodcastsJose Altuve and Carlos Correa are Heroes.New,16commentsCarlos Correa played 2018 with a deviated septum, inhibiting his breathing.ByWilliam Metzger (bilbos)Nov 11, 2018,3:51pm CSTShareTweetShareShareJose Altuve and Carlos Correa are Heroes.Troy Taormina-USA TODAY SportsIt is said too often of grown men who happen to be good at playing kids’ games that they are heroes.Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa are heroes.The essence of heroism is the willingness to undergo pain or sacrifice for the good of others. We all saw the hobbled Jose Altuve last Fall, at times suppressing agony, walking with a pained limp, and yet on the field making maximum effort, even running with his usual haste to transform routine ground outs into infield hits. And then he’d limp...Again.As manager A.J. Hinch said (I paraphrase) “He shouldn’t have been playing http://www.redsoxproshops.com/authentic-dustin-pedroia-jersey , but you try telling that to Jose Altuve.” Almost immediately after the season was over, Jose Altuve underwent knee surgery.This morning, as I was reading the news feed on my cell phone, I discovered that Carlos Correa, besides struggling through back pain last season, just underwent surgery for a deviated septum, which inhibited his breathing on the field of play. ARE YOU KIDDING? He played professional baseball and HE HAD TROUBLE BREATHING? As CBS Sports put it, with considerable understatement: “We can’t help but wonder if it contributed to his down year.”Last Spring I wrote an article entitled If Anyone Can, the Core Four Can. Well David Price Jersey , it turns out they couldn’t, win another championship that is. But I think I am just as proud of these young men in defeat as I was of them in victory. One thing I noted about these Astros Four was their indefatigable desire, even by the insane standards of professional baseball players.So it turns out Carlos Correa plays baseball not only with back pain, but with difficulty breathing. Sounds like the child-Carlos, playing in the Puerto Rican Pampers league, who would often implore his dad: “Hit me grounders by the tree roots Papa.” He would come to school after such sessions with bruises on his face. And he’d do it again.I have heard through the grapevine that some Astros “fans” are whispering that Carlos Correa should be traded.To you I say: GO TO HELL.In my earlier article I said that if a team is blessed with even one such example of leadership and character as the four who comprise the core of the Astros, they should deem themselves most lucky. Never prematurely break up a team with George Springer, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa.NEVER. These are not just uncommonly good baseball players Craig Kimbrel Jersey , but outstanding human beings, and equal much more together than the sum of their parts.After hearing about Carlos Correa’s perseverance through double injury and his recovery, I joyously anticipate celebrating another Astros World Series Championship.And I think I’m just young enough to have a chance to go to Cooperstown on that distant day sure to come when Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa follow Jose Altuve as inductees into the Hall of Fame.My I propose the following inscription on Correa’s plaque: Carlos Correa, who in 2018 slashed .237/.323/.405, helped lead his team to the ALCS despite back injuries and a deviated septum, which caused him to have labored breathing.Go Stros, champions in victory and defeat. The Washington Nationals reportedly used the last day of the 2018 regular season to make a "mega offer" to right fielder Bryce Harper, but he wasn't interested in accepting it and missing out on free agency.Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the news, noting negotiations have not resumed sinceHarper rejected the offer. That leaves the door open for a number of other teams to pursue what figures to be one of the premier free agency targets of the entire offseason.Harper has been with the Nationals his entire career since he entered the league in 2012 and has already collected a Rookie of the Year Steven Wright Jersey , National League MVP and six All-Star nods in his first seven seasons. He slashed .330/.460/.649 with 42 home runs and 99 RBI in 2015 on his way to the MVP.He played a career-high 159 games and slashed .249/.393/.496 with 34 home runs and career-best 100 RBI during the 2018 campaign, marking his sixth season with at least 20 long balls.Harper will surely command head-turning money on the open market, but he is just 26 years old and can be the face of a franchise and anchor an offense as it chases championships for a decade.According toJoe Osborneof OddsShark, the Philadelphia Phillies are the favorites to land him at even betting odds, while the Chicago Cubs are second at +300 (bet $100 to win $300). The Nationals are third at +400, although the fact he turned down such a noteworthy offer doesn't bode well for the only franchise he's ever known.The Cubs are in the middle of a competitive window, and Harper would provide a boost for an offense that was in dire need of support down the stretch as the Milwaukee Brewers passed them in the National League Central.The Phillies jumped from 66 wins in 2017 to 80 in 2018 and are primed to compete with a major addition. Harper would represent just that in a major market that may not shy away from offering him significant money.