trade him !!!
36. Christian Walker, 1B, Astros | $40MM through 2027
Speaking of Walker, it seems there’s a good chance Houston will try to take a mulligan on this contract in the offseason. The Astros reacquired Carlos Correa at the trade deadline and will install him as their everyday third baseman. That pushes Isaac Paredes off his position. Paredes has some experience at second base but is a better fit at first base. Plus, Houston has to decide where Jose Altuve will play. After saying he’d play left field primarily in 2025, Altuve struggled enough on the grass that he split his time pretty evenly between his new position and his traditional spot at second base.
One could argue that the move here is to trade Paredes, not Walker. He’d fetch a return of some note, whereas the Astros would need to pay down some of Walker’s salary after he turned in a .238/.297/.421 batting line. Walker popped 27 homers, but his overall production was about average on a rate basis, thanks largely to that meager .297 on-base percentage. And, after years of ranking as one of the best defensive first basemen in all of MLB, his defensive grades plummeted in his new surroundings.
There’s no easy way to alleviate this logjam of pricey players, but eating some of Walker’s contract and finding a new home for him would be the best path toward fielding a complete roster in 2026. Walker may very well bounce back — he hit .264/.318/.489 (123 wRC+) in his final 305 plate appearances — but Paredes is younger, more affordable and offers more reliable offense.