One of the top sluggers on the free-agent market has landed with an American League contender, according to a breaking report.
Former Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker is headed to the Houston Astros on a three-year, $60 million deal. Negotiations were first reported by The Athletic.
With Walker in hand , the recently acquired Isaac Paredes should move to third base after coming over from the Chicago Cubs in a deal for right fielder Kyle Tucker. There had been some talk of Paredes playing first.
A three-time Gold Glove winner, Walker had another solid season with the Diamondbacks in 2024, hitting 26 homeruns and posting a .468 slugging percentage.
Walker made $10.9 million in 2024 and is seen as a considerable discount over Pete Alonso, the free-agent Mets slugger who is currently rumored to be getting a nine-figure deal.
The addition of Walker is a big step for an Astros team that is trying to regroup after missing out on another top slugger: Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.
There is no deal in place just yet, but according to The Athletic , former Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker is ‘down the road’ in talks with the Houston Astros
A week after the St. Louis Cardinals announced their intention to trade Nolan Arenado, the All-Star third baseman invoked his no-trade clause to veto a deal to the Houston Astros
A week after St. Louis announced their intention to trade the All-Star third baseman, Arenado invoked his no-trade clause to veto a potential deal with the Astros, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday.
Arenado is owed a guaranteed $74 million over the upcoming three seasons, and the Cardinals were willing to give the Astros $15 million-$20 million of that amount, according to MLB.com. That report indicated the two sides were still in talks, though the chances of a deal being completed were viewed as minimal.
Houston will likely have a hole to fill at third base as All-Star Alex Bregman is a free agent. The Astros lost another key player last week when they dealt right fielder Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and minor league third baseman Cam Smith.
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said on Dec. 9 that trading Arenado ‘would be a big help. It’s financial, but it also creates a runway for someone else. …
‘These decisions are not something we ever take lightly. (Arenado) is not demanding a trade. He’s not telling me I have to do it, but I think in the best interest of both sides, I’d like to try to find him someplace to land.’
Arenado, 33, is an eight-time All-Star and a 10-time Gold Glove winner. He landed in the top eight in NL Most Valuable Player voting six times.
He owns a career .285 batting average with .342 on-base percentage, a .515 slugging percentage, 341 homers and 1,132 RBIs in 1,680 games.
