Astros New Slugger Christian Walker Shares What Went Into His 'No-Brainer' Signing

There are a few different reasons why Christian Walker chose to sign with the Houston Astros, and he revealed some of them.

Jun 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first base Christian Walker (53) before game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Baseball is a sport that is full of rumors, and for a long time, there was a lot of smoke suggesting the Houston Astros were interested in slugging first baseman Christian Walker when he hit free agency.

While there are constant connections and links being stated by analysts and insiders regarding who teams are interested in pursuing, things have to work out perfectly for both sides to come to an agreement when the time comes.

For the Astros, that happened quickly with Walker.

With Pete Alonso hitting the open market, Walker was largely overlooked in the pantheon of things since he is about to be in his mid-30s and only just burst onto the scene as a star player during the last three years.

Houston offered Alex Bregman a contract, but with the two sides not anywhere near an amount of money that both parties were looking for, that forced general manager Dana Brown and his front office to pivot.

Kyle Tucker was shipped out of town for a package that included a third baseman, and then they tried to acquire Nolan Arenado until he utilized his no-trade clause to block a potential deal.

Before anyone could really process what had happened on that front, the Astros agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract with Walker before they officially signed the slugger.

On paper, this deal makes sense.

Not only does he improve the offense of that position, which Houston has been lacking, but his defense should also help the aging Jose Altuve at second base.

Walker discussed how quickly everything took place before saying this decision was an obvious one.

"They were circling. This was my first time going through free agency, so I didn't really know what to expect. Circling, circling, circling and it's real interest and it happens quick. We had some momentum. We wanted to get it done, they wanted to get it done. It was a no-brainer," the slugger said per Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

During his introductory press conference, he shared why he chose the Astros, having some strong words about what has been established in the clubhouse.

"The word you hear a lot is culture. For me, that's knowing how to win. That's being used to winning. That's expecting to win ... I've been watching this team for a while now, and you know, that edge, the energy, the expectation. You can tell they're going out there with a standard."

Walker went on to discuss what he's going to bring to the table and how he plans on ensuring he lives up to that standard, but he also shared another nugget about why he came to Houston.

"I'm most excited about the food. I love to eat, I love to cook. The barbecue has me interested."

He'll fit right in with that attitude.