The Houston Astros have made another big move this offseason, picking up free agent first baseman Christian Walker, according to multiple reports. Walker and the Astros have agreed to a three-year deal worth $60 million, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Walker, who spent the past eight seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, was one of the top free agents this season. The 33-year-old first baseman was something of a late bloomer in baseball, not becoming a consistent starter for the D-Backs until 2019, when he was 28 years old.
Walker has earned three Gold Gloves in each of the last three seasons, sealing his reputation as one of the best first basemen in the league.
During the 2024 season, Walker hit 26 home runs and had a batting average of .251. But defense was where the infielder really excelled: Walker finished the year with a league-leading .998 fielding percentage.
He played in 129 games this season and missed time in August with an oblique injury.
The move comes as Houston looks to turn things around for next season, which likely means free agent Alex Bregman will not return to the team. Nightingale reports this the Yankees also had interest in Walker, but will likely shift their focus to Paul Goldschmidt and Carlos Santana.
The Astros traded All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs last week, freeing up some cap space to land players like Walker. In the trade, Houston received infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and prospect Cam Smith.
