Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Christian Walker

We’re just weeks away from the MLB Winter Meetings, and the free agent hot stove is starting to warm up.

The focus of the offseason has undoubtedly been centered around the big names, with conversations surrounding the Juan Soto sweepstakes and Roki Sasaki’s free agent suitors dominating the headlines at the moment.

But there are plenty of names beyond the top-tier free agents that have the opportunity to make significant impacts on new teams in 2025.

While Pete Alonso might be the first name that teams interested in first base help will look into, Christian Walker, Just Baseball’s No. 14 ranked free agent, represents that next tier of impact free agents and projects to be in line for a decent payday this winter.

His recent stats back up why he’s projected to be one of the most sought-after first basemen in the coming weeks/months.

In 2024 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the 33-year-old hit .251 with an .803 OPS and 119 wRC+ while belting 26 HR and 84 RBI, according to FanGraphs.

And looking at his output with more of a macro lens, Walker has been one of the most productive hitters at his position for the past three seasons.

Each year since 2022, Walker has posted an OPS over .800, a wRC+ above 115, 25 or more HRs and 80 or more RBIs.

Pair that with three consecutive Gold Gloves, and Walker will have no shortage of suitors competing for his signature.

With that said, here are some potential landing spots for Christian Walker.

New York Yankees

The Yankees needing a first baseman is a narrative that will soon sound repetitive this winter unless they quickly nail down who will be manning the position in 2025.

It was arguably the position they struggled at the most this past season, as the first base options in the Bronx combined for an AL-worst 76 wRC+, paired with an AVG of .216, OBP of .284 and SLG of .335.

From a defensive standpoint, they were a middling team at the first base spot, ranking 11th in MLB in OAA and 19th in DRS.

And now that the Anthony Rizzo era has come to an end in New York, the first base role is truly up for grabs.

Walker’s above-average bat and elite defense would immediately give the reigning American League pennant winners the boost they so desperately need at the position.

On top of that, Walker would provide a consistently solid link between the top of the batting order (namely Aaron Judge) and the rest of the lineup.

Houston Astros

Similar to the Yankees, the Houston Astros will be one of the teams in dire need of finding a better solution at first base than what they have now.

After the José Abreu experiment came to an abrupt end when the team DFA’d him in June, they resorted to mainly utilizing Jon Singleton at first. He wasn’t anything to write home about in 2024 with a 105 wRC+ and a .707 OPS in 405 plate appearances.

The thought of Walker bringing his righty pop to Houston to hit toward the left field Crawford Boxes should have the Astros brass eager to make this union happen.

And while the Astros would primarily look to Walker for offense, what could make him that much more appealing to Houston is his Gold Glove defense.

The Astros were dead last in baseball at the first base position in OAA (-13) and DRS (-14) in 2024, so Walker would offer a very welcomed contrast for 2025 and beyond.

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners made some moves last offseason that made me question whether or not they will push the financial chips forward to go after the flashy first base name on the market in Pete Alonso.

But their acquisition of Randy Arozarena at the trade deadline to join an offensive core centered around Julio Rodríguez gives off the vibe that they still want to contend and take advantage of their world-class starting rotation.

This makes a player like Walker such a great fit for the Mariners, who’ve been looking for a full-time answer at first base since parting ways with Ty France mid-season this past year.

Walker won’t command the potentially six-figure deal that Alonso is projected to earn, and he’s still one of the highest-regarded names at the position after the huge role he played in the resurgence of the Diamondbacks in recent years.

From a hitting standpoint, Walker would give the Mariners a much-needed boost in the power department, as they sat 25th in SLG as a team in 2024.

And Seattle could stand to add a Gold Glover like Walker to the mix, considering they sat just 23rd in team-wide OAA (-17) in 2024.

San Diego Padres

Unlike the three teams discussed already, the San Diego Padres don’t have a pressing need to pursue a first baseman this offseason, with Luis Arráez assuming the role for much of 2024.

But the infatuation surrounding Arráez definitely comes from his bat, as he puts bat to ball better than most in the major leagues, resulting in three consecutive batting titles.

This makes me feel that if the right opportunity came for the Padres, they wouldn’t be opposed to Arráez moving to another position or coming off the field altogether and assuming a full-time DH role.

This is where Walker would be a great option to add to a lineup that, as it stands now (without Jurickson Profar and Ha-Seong Kim), lacks a bit of quality beyond the top four in the order of Arráez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill.

Not only would Walker offer a suitable offensive replacement for Profar and Kim, but he would also provide some insurance in the middle of the lineup should Xander Bogaerts have another down year in 2025.

For a team that’s had payroll concerns in recent years, Walker offers an executive like A.J. Preller, who likes to be aggressive, a way to sign a real impact bat to a shorter-term deal with a slightly lower AAV than other top-market stars would demand.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates are a more unconventional shout than the four teams listed above, who are all firmly in postseason contention conversation. Yet, they still make a lot of sense as a fit for Walker.

Pittsburgh was in postseason contention a lot longer than many would have expected in 2024. Overall, this is a team on the rise thanks to some excellent young pitching both at the big league level and in the pipeline for the future, led of course by the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes.

After Skenes won his Rookie of the Year honors, he gained a full year of service time. That accelerated his future free agency date up a year to 2029, meaning the Pirates have a year less to make the most of Skenes’s time as a Buc. So, they’ll need to start adding sooner rather than later.

And while their lineup features some promising pieces like Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, if they want to be serious competitors moving forward some attention needs to be shown to their lineup to match the intrigue of their pitching.

This is where Walker comes into play, as the type of significant splash a smaller market team like the Pirates can make that will certainly put them in a better place to compete than their current options at first base, Connor Joe and Billy Cook.