Pittsburgh Pirates Predicted to Sign National League Slugger

Few players would make more sense for the Pittsburgh Pirates than Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker.

Sports Illustrated predicted that Pittsburgh will sign the Diamondbacks’ first baseman in free agency and ranked him the No. 13 in his top 50 free agents.

“Over the past three seasons, Pete Alonso and Matt Olson are the only first basemen with more home runs than Walker’s 95,” writes SI. “A late bloomer who didn’t settle into an everyday role until his age-28 season, Walker has been fairly consistent year-over-year with a 120 wRC+ since 2022. First base-only players in their mid-30s can be marginalized in free play, but Walker’s bat has been productive enough to rank high in this year’s class.”

Walker has been one of the more reliable power-hitting first basemen over the past three seasons. He has hit 95 home runs and has 281 RBI since 2022. Last season he hit 26 home runs, drove in 84 runs and slashed .251/.335/.468.

Walker, 34, has also proven to be a more than reliable defensive first baseman. He has won three straight Rawlings Gold Glove Awards and led all players at his position in the National League with 13 strikeouts above average and has 39 over the last three years.

Few teams need to add proven bats to their lineup more than Pittsburgh. It ranked in the bottom 10 in nearly every major category at the plate and especially struggled to get consistent production from first base.

Signing Walker would not come without concerns, as is the case with almost all free agents. He turns 34 next season, so signing him to a potential deal beyond three years wouldn’t be wrong to warrant some hesitation.

But given where the Pirates currently stand, they should be willing to make a risky move for a player of Walker’s caliber and give him what would most likely be the largest contract for a free agent in franchise history.

Be sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insights on the Pittsburgh Pirates