Best landing spots for free agent Christian Walker

We’re just a few weeks away from the MLB Winter Meetings, and the free agent furnace is starting to heat up.

The offseason has undoubtedly focused on the big names, with conversations surrounding the Juan Soto Competition and Roki Sasaki’s free agent suitors currently making headlines.

But there are plenty of names, beyond high-profile free agents, who have the opportunity to make a significant impact on new teams in 2025.

Although Pete Alonso might be the first name teams interested in first base help look at, Christian WalkerJust baseball No. 14 ranked free agentrepresents the next level of impact free agents and projects to be in contention for a decent salary this winter.

His recent stats confirm why he should be one of the most sought-after first basemen in the coming weeks/months.

In 2024 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the 33-year-old hit .251 with an .803 OPS and 119 wRC+ while putting up 26 HR and 84 RBI, according to FanGraphs.

And looking at his production with a more macro lens, Walker has been one of the most productive hitters at his position over the past three seasons.

Every year since 2022, Walker has posted an OPS above .800, a wRC+ above 115, 25 HR or more, and 80 RBI or more.

Pair that with three straight Gold Gloves, and Walker will have no shortage of suitors competing for his signature.

With that said, here are some potential landing spots for Christian Walker.

New York Yankees

The Yankees need a first baseman is a narrative that will soon seem repetitive this winter unless they quickly determine who will fill the position in 2025.

This was arguably the position they struggled the most at last season, as first base options in the Bronx combined for an AL-worst 76 wRC+, coupled with a .216 AVG, an OBP of .284 and a SLG of .335.

Defensively, they were a middling team at first base, ranking 11th in MLB in OAA and 19th in DRS.

And now that the Anthony Rizzo era has ended in New York, the first base role is truly up for grabs.

Walker’s above-average bat and elite defense would immediately give the reigning American League pennant winners the boost they desperately need at the position.

On top of that, Walker would provide a consistently strong link between the top of the batting order (namely Aaron Judge) and the rest of the lineup.

Houston Astros

Similar to the Yankees, the Houston Astros will be one of the teams that will badly need to find a better solution at first base than what they currently have.

After the Jose Abreu The experience ended abruptly when the DFA team signed him in June. At first, they used mainly Jon Singleton. He was nothing to write home about in 2024 with a 105 wRC+ and .707 OPS in 405 plate appearances.

The idea of ​​Walker bringing his right-hander to Houston to hit to left field Crawford Boxes should make the Astros brass want to make this union.

And while the Astros would primarily look to Walker for offense, what could make him even more attractive to Houston is his Gold Glove defense.

The Astros were dead last in baseball at the first base position in OAA (-13) and DRS (-14) in 2024, so Walker would provide a very welcome contrast for 2025 and beyond.

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners made a few moves this past offseason that made me wonder whether or not they were going to move the financial chips forward to go after the flashy first base name on the market in Pete Alonso.

But their acquisition of Randy Arozarena at the trade deadline to join an offensive core centered around Julio Rodríguez gives off the vibe that they still want to compete and take advantage of their world-class starting rotation.

That makes a player like Walker an ideal fit for the Mariners, who have been looking for a full-time answer at first base since parting ways with Ty France midseason last year.

Walker won’t command potentially six-figure deal offered by Alonso projected to winand he’s still one of the most highly regarded names at the position after the huge role he played in the Diamondbacks’ resurgence in recent years.

From a hitting standpoint, Walker would give the Mariners a much-needed boost in the power department, as they sit 25th in SLG as a team in 2024.

And Seattle could add a Gold Glover like Walker to the mix, considering they only ranked 23rd in the OAA (-17) team-wide in 2024.

San Diego Padres

Unlike the three teams already discussed, the San Diego Padres do not have a pressing need to pursue a first baseman this offseason, with Luis Arráez assuming that role for much of 2024.

But the hype surrounding Arráez certainly comes from his bat, as he puts bat to ball better than most in the major leagues, earning him three consecutive batting titles.

This gives me the impression that if the right opportunity presented itself for the Padres, they wouldn’t be opposed to Arráez changing positions or leaving the field altogether and taking on a full-time DH role.

This is where Walker would be a great option to add to a roster that, as it stands (without Jurickson Profar and Ha-Seong Kim), is a bit lacking in quality beyond the top four in the order. Arráez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill.

Not only would Walker provide a suitable offensive replacement for Profar and Kim, but he would also provide some insurance in the middle of the lineup should Xander Bogaerts have another down year in 2025.

For a team that has had payroll issues in recent years, Walker offers an executive like AJ Preller, who likes to be aggressive, a way to make a real impact signing on a shorter-term deal with a slightly lower AAV than the other stars of the market. would require.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates are a less conventional shout than the four teams listed above, all of which are firmly in a playoff conversation. Yet they still mean a lot to Walker.

Pittsburgh has been in playoff contention much longer than many would have expected in 2024. Overall, this is a team on the rise thanks to excellent young pitching at both the big league and preparing for the future, led of course by 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes.

After Skenes won Rookie of the Year, he earned a full year of service. This accelerated his future free agency date by one year to 2029, meaning the Pirates have one less year to make the most of Skenes’ time as a Buc. So they will have to start adding more as soon as possible.

And while their lineup features promising pieces like Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, if they want to be serious contenders in the future, some attention needs to be paid to their lineup to match the intrigue of their pitch .

That’s where Walker comes in, as the type of big sensation a smaller market team like the Pirates can make that will certainly put them in a better position to compete than their current options at first base, Connor Joe and Billy Cook.