Three-Time Gold Glove First Baseman Signs with the Astros

Three-time Gold Glove-winning first baseman Christian Walker has signed with the Houston Astros. The deal is reportedly for three years and is worth $60 million. Coming off the three best seasons of his career, Walker was seen as the next best free agent option at first base behind Pete Alonso. With Alonso seeking an extremely high dollar amount for his contract, many viewed Walker as the better value option. 

Although heading into his 34-year-old season, Walker still appears to have plenty left in the tank. The last three seasons were three of the best of his career, both offensively and defensively. He is often left out of the conversation of best first baseman in the league but has been one of the most consistent. He posted above a .800 OPS and hovered around 100 RBIs and 30 home runs all three seasons, and was arguably snubbed of an all-star appearance in 2024. Each of the last three seasons, he has won a Gold Glove award as well, solidifying himself as one of the best, if not the best, fielding first baseman in the game. A big plus surrounding Walker’s game is that he is always on the field. Since being promoted to a full-time starting first baseman, excusing the 2020 season, he has never played below 115 games. 

While not a huge name signing like Juan Soto or Corbin Burnes, this is not one to look over. The big-name players are the ones who make the headlines, but it is guys like Christian Walker that really matter. Even though he is not considered a superstar, he is going to be put in big positions in the games throughout the season, and he will directly be able to affect the outcome of the game. As of right now, Walker is one of the most consistent players at first base, and fans should be excited to have a guy that they know is going to produce throughout the season.