Breaking: 26-Home Run Slugger Could Be Astros’ Next Big Free Signing
The Houston Astros didn’t have the season they hoped to have in 2024.
Houston struggled out of the gate to the point where it seemed like it could be sellers ahead of the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline. The Astros turned things around and ended up back in the postseason but didn’t make as deep of a run as the team had hoped.
Clearly, the Astros have a lot of talent and could contend once again in 2025. While this is the case, it seems like the team is at a crossroads. Houston star third baseman Alex Bregman is available and it’s unclear if he will be back. Even if he does return, the Astros have a hole at first base that needs to be addressed.
The Athletic’s Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman, and Chad Jennings listed the Astros among “best fits” for Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Christian Walker at a projected $44 million price tag in response.
“Christian Walker didn’t get regular playing time in the majors until age 28, but the late-blooming slugger has turned into one of MLB’s best all-around first basemen. He’s topped an .800 OPS and won a Gold Glove award in three straight seasons while averaging 32 homers per 150 games. One of baseball’s premier defenders, Walker led all NL first basemen with 14 Outs Above Average in 2024.
“He might be too old to secure a big long-term payday, but Walker should have a sizable short-term market and could be seen by some teams as an appealing alternative to Pete Alonso given the likely massive gap in price tag…Britton’s projection: two years, $44 million. Best fits: (Houston Astros), (Milwaukee Brewers), (New York Yankees).”
Walker hit 26 home runs in 2024 and drove in 84 runs. Both of those metrics would be improvements for the Astros. They can afford a $44 million deal and it makes almost too much sense.
