Christian Walker has been a well-liked goal in free company so far within the offseason, drawing curiosity not solely from the incumbent Diamondbacks but additionally the Yankees, Mariners, Astros and Nationals, amongst different golf equipment. ESPN’s Jeff Passan writes that groups have been unwilling to increase their gives past three years however that Walker’s camp “would like to get a fourth yr.”
Widespread curiosity in Walker is just logical. He’s been among the many most underrated gamers within the sport for a number of seasons. The 33-year-old slugger’s .251/.335/.468 slash from 2024 is a close to mirror picture of the broader .253/.332/.464 line he carries in practically 3200 plate appearances relationship again to 2019. On the time, it might’ve appeared totally nonsensical to assume that the Diamondbacks would be capable to efficiently change perennial All-Star Paul Goldschmidt with a journeyman waiver declare, however Arizona did simply that and has been rewarded handsomely.
Not solely has Walker been persistently productive on the plate — 13% higher than common general, together with 20% higher over the previous three seasons — he’s emerged as one of many sport’s greatest defenders at his place. Walker has gained three straight Gold Gloves for his work at first base. Walker’s 33 Defensive Runs Saved over the previous three seasons lead all huge league first baseman by a large margin. Matt Olson is second, at 27. Statcast is much more bullish, crediting Walker with 39 Outs Above Common — practically double that of second-ranked Carlos Santana (20). He’s made solely eight errors since 2022.
Quietly glorious as Walker has been, nonetheless, a four-year deal is a lofty ask when contemplating his age. He’ll flip 34 in March. As proven in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, solely 4 place gamers up to now decade have secured a four-year deal starting of their age-34 season or later: Josh Donaldson (4 years, $92MM with the Twins), Ben Zobrist (4 years, $56MM with the Cubs), Nelson Cruz (4 years, $57MM with the Mariners) and Victor Martinez (4 years, $68MM with the Tigers. Donaldson’s deal, now nearly 5 years outdated, is the newest of the bunch. Of the 4, solely Cruz’s contract performed out effectively.
Suffice it to say, 4 years would break any current precedent for a place participant of this age. Speculatively talking, he may go the route another veterans have up to now to safe the extra years they search on longer-term offers: throw in (on this occasion) the fourth yr at a reduced fee. Normal expectations for Walker have been that he’ll command one thing within the neighborhood of $20MM per yr. If he had been to tack on a fourth yr at, say, $8-10MM, that’d get him his fourth season and likewise decrease the luxury-tax hit for the signing membership. For a lot of of Walker’s reported suitors, that gained’t be an element, as they’re not CBT payors anyhow. For a crew just like the Yankees or Astros, it may show vital.
Walker’s asking value is probably going one of many causes that the Yankees “seem more and more prone to go together with a extra cheap possibility at first base,” as reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The others embrace the qualifying provide that’d value them an extra two draft picks (after already punting two for Max Fried) and the plethora of choices obtainable on the free agent market (Santana, Justin Turner, Goldschmidt) and commerce market (Josh Naylor, Yandy Diaz, Nathaniel Lowe).
