Christian Walker reportedly a priority for Yankees, D-backs ready for plan B
Dec 10, 2024, 2:20 PM
It’s pointing in the direction of the predictable: Diamondbacks free agent Christian Walker is reportedly being wooed by the New York Yankees, and Arizona is likely well on its way to planning for how it will replace the best defensive first baseman of the past five years.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported Tuesday that the Yankees, after watching the domino that is Juan Soto land with the Mets, are prioritizing Walker ahead of Mets free agent first baseman Pete Alonso. It confirmed the Yankees’ active negotiations with Walker first reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
“I believe based on what I’ve heard from sources the last couple days that Christian Walker, at the moment, is more of a priority for the Yankees than what Pete Alonso would be,” Morosi reported.
Walker slashed .256/.335/.468 last season and hit 26 home runs to go with 84 RBIs.
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He will be 34 years old in March and has been a steady staple at first for the D-backs since the franchise traded homegrown star Paul Goldschmidt in 2018.
What will D-backs do if Yankees or others sign Christian Walker away?
Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Tuesday that the team is prepared for whatever happens in terms of Walker’s free agency.
“First of all, Walk’s a stud,” Hazen said. “Self-made person and everybody can admire and respect that … Nothing’s done ’til it’s done, so I’ll leave (the potential of signing elsewhere) alone. As far as, like, other opportunities, yeah, we have to explore everything within the market.”
The D-backs will look at outside free agents and trade possibilities if it comes to Walker signing with the Yankees or otherwise.
What does Arizona have to replace him in-house? Catcher Adrian Del Castillo, who impressed as a rookie at the plate but struggled behind it, is unlikely to get moved to first even though he is stacked behind fellow youngster Gabriel Moreno.
Finding good catchers is harder, Hazen said, and the team isn’t in a hurry to switch his position to get his bat in the lineup — even if it’s been discussed as a future possibility.
“Other than that, look, we think Pavin (Smith) deserves some chance to get at-bats versus righties,” Hazen added. “He did a great job for us when he was up last year. I don’t think he’s ever got a real extended run. He’ll fit in the mix somewhere in this whole entire puzzle that we’ll put together.”
Smith has surpassed 100 games played in a season just once in five MLB seasons. He played 145 games in the D-backs’ 52-110 season in 2021.
Last year in 60 games, Smith slashed .270/.348/.547 for a career-high .896 OPS.
Only 23 of his 158 at-bats came against left-handed hitters, however.
