Getty Anthony Rizzo picking a ball
The New York Yankees enter the early stages of the offseason with a few holes on their roster. If the Yankees go all-in for Juan Soto, it might hurt the other moves they can make, but they’ll still have money to spend elsewhere. How much money they have would be the question, but they’re still the Yankees. They have the money.
Given that’s the case, Christian Walker would be an excellent target. The Yankees need to replace Anthony Rizzo, and given Pete Alonso’s expected contract, signing Walker might be the better decision.
Sports Grid’s MLB Staff believes the Yankees will do just that, predicting that Walker will sign a three-year, $65 million deal with New York.
Yankees Have Interest in Walker
The thought of the New York Yankees signing Walker isn’t out of the blue. The two have been linked to each other over the past month, with the Yankees showing heavy interest in landing him.
New York has cast a wide net in its pursuit of a first baseman, but according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Walker is a player they plan to “aggressively pursue” due to being half the price of Alonso.
“There are at least six teams who plan to aggressively pursue Walker, with everyone involved from the New York Yankees to the Diamondbacks to the Washington Nationals, believing he’ll come at less than half the price of Alonso,” Nightengale wrote on November 7.
Why the Yankees Need Walker
The New York Yankees allowing Rizzo to hit free agency was the likeliest outcome over the past year. Rizzo’s decline after suffering a concussion during the 2023 campaign was tough to watch, but the Yankees, fortunately, did what they had to do by declining his club option.
As a team, the Yankees got minimal production out of the first base position. They had the worst wRC+ in the American League, so replacing that with Walker, who posted a 119 wRC+, would be ideal.
“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…
“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,” Caleb Moody of Just Baseball wrote on November 26.
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