Pirates Among Top Landing Spots For Star First Baseman
Few players have been touted as a better fit for the Pittsburgh Pirates than first baseman Christian Walker.
Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller is of the same mind, as he listed Pittsburgh as the fourth-best fit in free agency for the Pennsylvania native. The Pirates only trailed the Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees on Miller's list.
"If they're going to spend real money on a multi-year free agent for pretty much the first time in franchise history, though, doesn't that make first base the perfect, low-hanging-fruit spot to do so?" Miller writes. "Upgrading from what was a Rowdy Tellez / Connor Joe platoon to a first baseman of Walker's caliber could be massive in Pittsburgh's quest to have Paul Skenes pitch in October."
Walker has developed into one of the game's more reliable power-hitting first basemen over the last three seasons, hitting over 25 home runs and driving in over 85 runs. The right-handed hitting first baseman hit .251/.335/.468 with 26 home runs and 84 RBIs.
Walker set a career-high in 2022 with 36 home runs, and in 2023, his 103 RBIs were a career best. He's also been one of the best defensive first basemen in baseball, as he has won three straight Gold Gloves.
Pittsburgh's offense was among the worst in baseball last season, ranking in the bottom 10 in nearly every major hitting stat. If the Pirates are going to buoy what could be one of the best young pitching staffs in 2025, they need reinforcements at the plate.
Few would fit the bill like Walker if Pittsburgh is willing to spend the money to land a player of his caliber.
"Pittsburgh has been much more willing to invest in its homegrown talent in recent years, extending Ke'Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds and Mitch Keller on long-term deals," Miller writes. "It has also been cautiously wading into the free-agent pool, investing more than $30 million in one-year deals in each of the past two years, including giving Aroldis Chapman an eight-figure salary last winter. Upping the ante to go get Pennsylvania native Walker is the next logical step in advance of a 2025 season in which the NL Central looks wide open for the taking."
