Astros’ Off-season Plan Complete: Christian Walker Signing Marks Final Significant Move
The Houston Astros surprised a lot of people this winter.
They could have decided to run things back for another year by re-signing Alex Bregman and figuring out how they were going to approach the impending free agencies of Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez following the 2025 season, but that’s not the direction general manager Dana Brown took.
Instead, he opted to be creatively aggressive.
Brown shipped Tucker out of town to bring back an ascending third baseman, a pitcher who can start or come out of the bullpen, and a star prospect to help bolster their farm system.
The possibility of bringing Bregman back was still on the table until they handed slugging first baseman Christian Walker a $60 million deal.
Upgrading that position was certainly a need, but it also signals that Bregman’s time with the franchise is over.
It also could be the final move the Astros make this winter.
“The team is remaining mindful of its luxury tax positioning — and signing Walker leaves them about $4 million under the first threshold, according to Cot’s Contracts — so the 34-year-old first baseman is likely the team’s final significant offseason addition,” writes Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
That’s not surprising for fans to hear.
Houston has been steadfast with their self-imposed financial constraints, and since they went over the luxury tax threshold last season, owner Jim Crane was going to avoid repeating that at all costs while still fielding a competitive team.
Brown was able to do that.
Walker is their high-profile signing of the winter, addressing the most glaring weakness they have had the past two years while adding a much cheaper option at third base than handing Bregman $200-plus million, no matter how painful it was to let him walk.
The Astros could make some other moves on the fringes of their roster, but with them being $4 million away from the tax again, there likely isn’t a whole lot they will do before Opening Day.
