Christian Walker Trade Rumors: Astros eyeing D-backs star as their 'dream target' for first base, per Insider
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker is reportedly on the radar of the Houston Astros, who are looking to fill the position ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline. Many names, such as Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., have popped up to fill Houston's first base, but the NY Post's Jon Heyman mentioned Walker as a "dream target" for the Astros:
“Their dream target is thought to be Diamondbacks 1B Christian Walker, a free agent to be,” he wrote.
Despite the Diamondbacks reaching the World Series last year, they are two games off the .500 mark this season and aren't expected to make the postseason this Fall. With that, they could trade Walker, who will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Walker would be a valuable addition to the Astros. He is hitting .267/.339/.506 with an OPS of .845. This includes 20 home runs, 59 RBIs and 34 walks.
The Astros released veteran first baseman Jose Abreu in June after he struggled to click, only hitting .124, resulting in the club moving on from him despite owing $19.5 million in salary for this season and the 2025 season as well.
Currently, the Astros have Mauricio Dubon, Jon Singleton and Joey Loperfido to play first base.
Astros among multiple teams rumored to trade for Cody Bellinger
The Chicago Cubs (40-48) are mostly sellers at trade deadlines, and most teams know that. Their dismal start to the season has prompted discussions surrounding first baseman/center fielder Cody Bellinger, who signed a three-year, $80 million, all-guaranteed contract with the club ahead of this season. Though he has an opt-out in place for the next two seasons, he is still a valuable asset to contending teams.
According to The Athletic, the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers are eyeing the former NL MVP, while Bleacher Report has the Astros looking out for him.
Bellinger, who is hitting .274 this year, could solve the Astros' first base problem due to his defensive versatility. The only downside to trading for him is that he carries a large cap hit following this season.
Following a rough start to the season, the Astros have found their rhythm, having won 12 of their last 14 games. They are only two games behind the division leaders, the Seattle Mariners (48-41). If they want to continue their winning run and go deep in the postseason, Bellinger is one person they could trade for to possibly solve their first baseman problem.