A top free agent has come off the board for the New York Yankees. Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported on Friday that free agent first baseman Christian Walker and the Houston Astros were in advanced talks on a deal. Walker is reportedly signing a three-year, $60 million deal with Houston.
Christian Walker signs a deal with the Astros
The Yankees will now have to start pivoting toward other free agents after they were unable to secure a deal with Walker to solve their first base dilemma.
The Yankees had a high level of interest in the 33-year-old infielder. He hit .251 with 26 home runs and posted a 119 wRC+ with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, and was one of the more sought-after free agents on the market thanks to his tremendous power.
The Yankees and Walker engaged in talks during the Winter Meetings but those talks soon fizzled out. Now, one of their biggest rivals in the American League has snatched him from New York’s taking.
The Yankees will pivot toward other players in the market
Missing out on Walker is not the end of the world for the Yankees, as the addition of Cody Bellinger gives them the flexibility to add either an infielder or an outfielder. They have expressed interest in other first basemen such as trade candidates Josh Naylor and Paul Goldschmidt as well as free agent Pete Alonso.
Additionally, the Astros signing Walker opens the door for the Yankees to sign third baseman Alex Bregman. Bringing in Walker essentially rules out a Houston return for Bregman as Isaac Parades will likely assume the role as the starting third baseman with Walker playing first base. Parades was acquired from the Cubs in the Kyle Tucker deal last week.
If the Yankees were to add Bregman, they could move Jazz Chisholm back to his natural position, which is second base. New York can also still add a first baseman through the trade market, or they can go the internal route and allow Ben Rice to be the everyday first baseman.
Nevertheless, the Yankees will now pivot towards other players available in the market as they lose Walker to the Astros.