Washington Nationals Predicted to Sign Veteran First Baseman in Free Agency
The Washington Nationals are heading into the offseason with a lot of hope and reason to believe that their long rebuild is getting closer to coming to an end.
In 2024, the Nationals might have won the same number of games that they did in the year prior, but it felt like it was a big step in the right direction for the organization. Young players like CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. really took their games to the next level, as Abrams was named to his first All-Star team, and Garcia put up All-Star caliber numbers.
Also, some of the top prospects in the organization came up in the outfield, with James Wood and Dylan Crews making their debuts this campaign.
With a lot of young talent in the lineup, the future is looking bright in Washington. However, in order for them to take the next step forward, they are going to need to make some improvements this offseason.
One of the positions of need for the Nationals will be at first base, and Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently linked them to Christian Walker in free agency.
“Christian Walker is going to offer an interesting alternative to Pete Alonso for teams looking to add an impact first baseman this offseason. An oblique injury cost Walker a little more than a month this past season, but he still homered 26 times, drove in 84 runs and posted an .803 OPS. He also won his third consecutive Gold Glove at the position, posting seven defensive runs saved and 13 outs above average in more than 1,100 frames at first base for the Diamondbacks.”
While Pete Alonso is certainly the top prize in free agency at first base, Walker is a very appealing player to target as well. Like Alonso, the slugger has been able to produce some good power numbers in recent years, but where he separates himself is on defense, as he is a Gold Glove award winner.
There is a lot to like about Walker’s game, but at 34 years old, there are also some concerns. Even though he has performed well, he is getting close to that age where a decline in production tends to happen. With a predicted contract of three years at $60 million, a drop in production could handicap Washington.
The Nationals are just getting out of a bad contract with Patrick Corbin, and there is certainly some age risk with Walker. However, if he can push off father time for a few years and perform like he has been, he would be a massive upgrade at first base.
