The New York Yankees have a few huge holes to fill this winter. One of them is undeniably at first base, where the Yankees let veteran Anthony Rizzo walk in free agency to begin the offseason. There are a few solid first base options for the Yankees in free agency led by New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso and Arizona Diamondbacks veteran Christian Walker. Alonso is projected to land a six-year, $174 million contract. while Walker is projected to land a three-year, $66 million deal.
FanSided’s Jacob Mountz recently jumped on the train of urging the Yankees to sign the Diamondbacks’ first baseman. Mountz advised the Yankees to sign Walker this winter for a few different reasons. “Right now, it seems the Yankees are very likely to sign Christian Walker. Walker is a top defender at first, has 30+ home run potential, and most importantly, won’t break the bank,” Mountz wrote. “The Yankees see Walker as the best bang for their buck type of bargain. In 2024, Walker slashed .251/.335/.468/.803 with 26 home runs in 479 at-bats during an injury-hampered season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The prior two years saw Walker hit 36 and 33 home runs in succession. Defensively, Walker is the best at first base having nabbed three Gold Gloves in a row.”
Walker is the perfect option for the Yankees here. He’s affordable while also providing the defensive play that Aaron Boone needs. Rather than just being a defensive wizard, Walker can threaten to hit 30-plus home runs with elite OPS numbers. There’s no big hole in Walker’s game besides his age, which has never pushed the Yankees away from a free agent before.