Insider Calls Yankees 'Ideal Fit' For Gold Glove First Baseman

The Yankees are looking to upgrade at first base, and a perfect option is ripe for the taking.

Sep 25, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first base Christian Walker (53) celebrates a double in the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees have several holes to fill this offseason, and one of them is at first base.

After declining Anthony Rizzo's $17 million club option earlier in November, the Yankees have just three internal options at first, with those being utility player Oswaldo Cabrera, utility player DJ LeMahieu, and rookie Ben Rice. But even with Rizzo, New York got little to no production from the position, both offensively and defensively, as these four combined for -0.1 fWAR (Cabrera was by far the best option with 0.9 fWAR, the other three combined to be a full win below replacement level).

Fortunately, there is a rock-solid option for the Bronx Bombers to pursue in free agency.

While Pete Alonso is considered to be the top first baseman available, Arizona Diamondbacks stalwart Christian Walker is also available on the market. Boasting a combination of power and defense, the 33-year-old should draw interest from multiple clubs; in particular, ESPN's Jeff Passan tabbed Walker as a great option for the Yankees.

"A productive hitter who is widely regarded as the best defensive first baseman in baseball, the 33-year-old is a late bloomer primed to snag a three-year deal. For a Yankees team looking to improve its defense, the three-time reigning Gold Glove winner would be an ideal fit," Passan wrote in a November 12 article.

Walker has hit 95 home runs over the past three seasons, including 26 big flies in 2024; while the 33-year-old has swing-and-miss in his game (20.8% strikeout rate over this span), he's shown good on-base skills with a .332 on-base percentage during that same span.

Additionally, Walker has been a premier defender at first base. Even though first base defense isn't valued as highly compared to other positions, the Yankees were plagued by poor defensive play at the position throughout 2024. In sharp contrast, Walker has been worth 39 outs above average and 29 fielding runs from 2022 to 2024, indicating those Gold Gloves were absolutely warranted.

Finally, the 33-year-old has rather good market value, with Spotrac projecting him to get a three-year, $66 million contract with a $22.1 million AAV. There will be risk involved due to Walker's age, though, as such a contract would bring him to his age-36 season (LeMahieu and Rizzo are 36 and 35, respectively); regardless, if Walker can maintain his current production over the course of a three-year deal, the Yankees would finally have a true multi-year solution at first base.

Of course, the Yankees are going big-game hunting this offseason and have been linked to some of the biggest names available. But considering how many needs Walker can fill, it would be smart for the Bronx Bombers to pursue him.