The New York Yankees have been linked to first baseman Christian Walker over the past few months. Walker, 33 years old, doesn’t have age on his side. However, the right-handed slugger has put up impressive numbers throughout his career and would be an excellent addition to the middle of the Yankees lineup.
The Yankees also need to find a replacement for Anthony Rizzo. They have options in the farm system, and there are other first basemen available, but Walker might be the best fit. He isn’t expected to get a massive deal and has experience, which is what a team with World Series aspirations needs.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote that he’s the one free agent that makes sense for the Yankees, highlighting their brutal OPS from the position last year.
“The Yankees’ .619 OPS from their first basemen in 2024 was the lowest in the AL, so figuring out an answer at the position will be on New York’s to-do list. Walker is the best all-around first baseman on the market, hitting 95 home runs since the start of 2022 while winning three straight Gold Glove Awards,” Feinsand wrote on November 25.
Walker Contract Prediction
The one thing the New York Yankees would have to consider with Walker and his age is his potential contract. While he makes sense to sign right now, he isn’t getting any younger, and if they give him a deal for multiple years, it could backfire on them.
Perhaps they could agree on a two-year deal, which would be the best outcome. If he played well in that second season, they could re-sign him to another short-term deal after that.
In the latest prediction from Zachary Roberts of Sportskeeda, the Yankees signed him to a three-year, $58 million deal.
“Christian Walker is the best first baseman available this year. He’s a Gold Glove-caliber fielder with a good bat. While the Yankees might have a lot of money tied up in other free agents, it’s hard to ignore how good of a fit he’d be,” Roberts wrote on November 25.
Yankees Considering Walker As a ‘Back-Up Plan’
The New York Yankees’ first focus isn’t on finding a first baseman. That doesn’t mean they don’t want to upgrade the position, but their eyes are clearly set on re-signing Juan Soto. If they have money after that to spend on a player like Walker, that’s when they should entertain upgrading the position.
In the event that Soto departs, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that their “back-up plan” is to sign Walker and make other moves.
“If the New York Yankees don’t re-sign Juan Soto, one back-up plan floating around is signing free-agent first baseman Christian Walker, sign either Willy Adames or Alex Bregman to play third, shift Jazz Chisholm to second base, trade for Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger, and then use the extra money to sign Burnes, Fried or Snell,” Nightengale wrote on November 25.
Those moves would be impressive for the Yankees, but it’s tough to say it’d be better than retaining Soto, arguably the best hitter in Major League Baseball.
Either way, Walker would be a great fit.
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Yankees Predicted to Sign 36 Home Run Slugger for $58 Million