The Houston Astros are likely to negotiate with the second-tier stars of this free agency class.
At the top of that list is Christian Walker, whom the team has been linked to several times in recent months. During the trade deadline, it was reported that the Astros were looking to trade for a first baseman.
Given the lack of output out of position over the last 18 months, he’d be a fantastic complement to this lineup.
While Walker might not be in the same tier as some of the other top players on the market, that doesn’t mean he’ll be cheap. It’s expected that he could be looking at a $100 million deal, as his bat has done nothing but improve every step of the way.
A late bloomer and already 34 years old, he might not get the benefit of the doubt in terms of a long-term contract, but at the very least, he should be looking at a high AAV deal.
Tim Britton of The Athletic predicted his future contract, writing that Walker would land a two-year, $44 million deal.
“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.”
If Houston were able to land Walker on this type of deal, it almost feels like a no-brainer to be in the mix. Even if that number reaches $50 million, he’d still be an excellent signing for the price.
They won’t find anyone on the market who swings the bat at the level he does for that type of price.
Value is what the Astros need to find this winter, and he’d give them just that.
There are other options on the market who might be a bit better than him, most notably Pete Alonso, but considering he could be looking at a $200 million deal, Walker would be the better addition.
