“At the least six groups…plan to aggressively pursue” free agent first baseman Christian Walker, USA At present’s Bob Nightengale writes, including that the Yankees, Nationals, and Diamondbacks are among the groups concerned within the hunt. The Mets are talked about as maybe extra of a peripheral suitor, as Nightengale speculates that the Mets may chase Walker if Pete Alonso isn’t re-signed.
Ranked thirteenth on MLBTR’s record of the offseason’s high 50 free brokers, Walker is projected for a three-year, $60MM deal, with the shorter-term nature of that contract reflecting the truth that Walker can be 34 on Opening Day. Whilst he will get deeper into his 30’s, nonetheless, Walker hasn’t proven a lot signal of slowing down. Over the past three seasons, the primary baseman has hit .250/.332/.481 with 95 residence runs over 1880 plate appearances with Arizona, which works out to a strong 120 wRC+. On high of that offense comes standout protection, as Walker has received the final three NL Gold Gloves and Fielding Bible awards in 2022-23 for his excellent work at first base.
As a result of Walker will doubtless be getting a comparatively quick contract, any variety of groups may conceivably be out there for his companies past simply the standard large spenders. This might assist the Diamondbacks (who’ve roughly $157.5MM already on the books for 2025) keep within the bidding, and one would think about Arizona may need some further benefit since Walker has said that he has loved his time with the D’Backs. Since Walker was issued a qualifying supply that he’s certain to reject, a brand new workforce would have to surrender draft picks and presumably worldwide bonus pool cash to signal him, whereas the Diamondbacks would face no penalty for re-signing their very own free agent.
Retaining Walker would instantly patch a giant gap in an Arizona lineup that is also dropping Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk in free company. Pavin Smith hit effectively in 2024 and is likely to be an fascinating backup plan (in no less than a platoon capability) at first base if Walker left, although within the occasion that Walker returned, the D’Backs may then extra comfortably view Smith a alternative for Pederson’s left-handed bat.
The Yankees even have a transparent want at first base since Anthony Rizzo isn’t anticipated to be re-signed, and DJ LeMahieu has been in sharp decline over the past two seasons. Walker would deliver extra pop into New York’s lineup, and shore up the infield protection that out of the blue grew to become a difficulty through the World Collection. (For what it’s price, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco and Darragh McDonald each predicted Walker would signal with the Yankees throughout the high 50 record’s projections.)
Signing a QO-rejecting free agent comes at a very stiff worth for the Yankees, as since they exceeded the luxurious tax threshold, they’d have to surrender two draft picks and $1MM in worldwide bonus cash. This isn’t essentially a roadblock for New York if the membership notably likes what Walker can supply, and the Yankees may need an fringe of their very own on the qualifying supply entrance since they wouldn’t have to surrender picks to re-sign Juan Soto. It has been speculated that the Yankees would possibly flip to Alonso because the backup plan if Soto goes elsewhere, but even in that state of affairs, New York would possibly nonetheless favor Walker because of the lower cost tag and larger all-around worth, as Alonso is simply a satisfactory defender.
Washington is probably probably the most fascinating of the three identified suitors, as in contrast to the D’Backs and Yankees, it has been some time for the reason that Nats have been in rivalry. The membership’s rebuild course of has introduced some very fascinating youthful constructing blocks (James Wooden, CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews, MacKenzie Gore, Luis Garcia Jr., and so on.) to the District, and with Wooden and Crews now within the majors, there have been rumblings that the Nats are prepared to show the nook again in direction of rivalry. Signing Walker would have some echos of the Nationals’ signing of Jayson Werth through the 2010-11 offseason, as that big-ticket addition signaled that the Nats have been going to begin competing after years of rebuilding.
President of baseball operations Mike Rizzo has overtly said that the Nationals are in search of extra pop in the midst of the lineup, and first base is the logical place for such an improve. Washington obtained a cumulative 0.3 bWAR from their first basemen in 2024, and the membership has already began clearing area on the place by parting methods with Joey Gallo and Joey Meneses.
For the reason that Nationals weren’t luxurious tax payors and don’t obtain income sharing, they face the mid-range penalty for signing a certified free agent — their second-highest 2025 draft decide and $500K in worldwide pool cash. The general payroll impression for Walker might be simply absorbed since Washington has solely Keibert Ruiz’s contract on the books, along with the 2 remaining years’ price of wage nonetheless owed to Stephen Strasburg.
