Upgrading at first base was one of the most important needs of the Houston Astros, entering the offseason.
The team received some of the worst production in baseball from that spot in 2024, as Jose Abreu was a disaster before he was released.
Jon Singleton was better, but still below average in most statistics, making adding a consistent first baseman a pressing need.
They came away with one, as the team agreed to a three-year, $60 million deal with Christian Walker, formerly of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He represents what should be a sizable upgrade for the franchise at the position, but it is understandable why some fans would be leery.
The veteran will be 34 years old when the 2025 campaign gets underway, and they just saw the risks that come with signing an aging first baseman.
Alas, that kind of instant drop off is tough to imagine for Walker, who raises his floor with his performance in the field. He has won the Gold Glove Award three years in a row, so at the very least, he will provide the team with elite defense.
While this deal looks like a good one, not everyone is a fan of it.
Bradford Doolittle of ESPN has panned the contract, giving it a grade of a “C-”.
Part of the reason is that the team may be paying for the downslope of his career.
“However, this is still a case of appearing to be paying an older free agent based on what he has already done as opposed to what he is likely to do. Sure, other teams were apparently willing to do the same thing in what’s a scarce market of remaining impact bats, but that doesn’t change the reality.”
The total cost is something the keep mind here, too.
It isn’t just a $60 million contract the Astros are paying.
Because Walker received a qualifying offer from the Diamondbacks, Houston has to surrender their second and fifth-highest picks in the next MLB draft, in addition to $1 million of their international bonus pool money.
On top of that, the Astros are pretty much at their max when it comes to spending unless they are willing to dip back into the tax. If that isn’t something they are willing to do, the Walker addition pretty much assures that Alex Bregman will not be returning to the team.
“It would be an overkill to suggest this move doesn’t move the needle at all from where Houston was yesterday, as Walker is a clear upgrade over whatever the Astros’ in-house options were for first base (or third, if Isaac Paredes was the Plan B at first base).
“But the Astros have lost ground overall since the end of 2024 and it’s not clear there is a great plan in place to prevent that little bit of skidding from turning into a landslide. Walker is too good to cause that landslide, but he’s not the kind of player whose future is so bright that he can prevent it from happening.”
In the 2024 MLB playoffs, Houston saw their streak of seven consecutive ALCS appearances get snapped by the Detroit Tigers, who defeated them in the Wild Card round.
That could be the end of their dynasty since multiple key members of the team are moving on this offseason.
Walker is certainly a solid addition and makes them a better team than they were before his signing, but their time as contenders in the AL looks to be coming to an end.
