It is safe to say that the New York Mets have not had a great offseason so far. The team has already missed out on bringing back star free agents Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso. They also shocked many of their fans by trading fan-favorite Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for infielder Marcus Semien.
Mets management has filled Diaz’s vacant closer role with Devin Williams. The former New York Yankee recently signed a three-year, $51 million deal to move from the Bronx to Queens. Nevertheless, the Mets still need to find replacements for Alonso at first base and Nimmo in the outfield.
USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale is now predicting that the National League East team will go after free agent Cody Bellinger to fill a massive hole in center field. The insider, however, does not believe that the Mets will succeed in grabbing the star.
As far as first base is concerned, Nightengale believes New York could make a significant trade to replace Baltimore-bound Alonso. According to the reporter, Houston Astros star Christian Walker would be the most likely player to fill Alonso’s shoes.
New York Mets Potential Move for Christian Walker may be Best Plan B Option
GettyChristian Walker previously collected three consecutive Gold Glove awards.
Targeting Walker would make sense for the Mets. With Alonso now off the board, the remaining free agent first basemen pool is not exactly star-studded. Ryan O’Hearn posted the highest WAR (4.6) of all current free agents at the position. Outside of the former Oriole, veterans Carlos Santana, 40, and Paul Goldschmidt, 38, are other possibilities for the Mets.
As Nightengale also pointed out, Kazuma Okamoto may become an option for the Mets as well. The Japanese free agent, however, is being linked with several other teams at the moment. Assuming that the Mets fail once again in free agency, Walker would likely be the team’s plan B.
The first baseman collected three straight Gold Glove awards with the Arizona Diamondbacks before moving to Houston in 2025. Along with stellar defense, Walker also provides some power behind the plate. In fact, he has averaged 30 home runs and 92 RBIs over the last four seasons.
Along with New York’s potential interest in Walker, Houston is also expected to field calls for their first baseman. As Astros beat writer Chandler Rome recently pointed out, the team has too many similar infielders on significant salaries and will likely opt to trade one of them. Walker fits into this category.
Walker has Two More Years Remaining on Current Contract
Many Mets fans may feel underwhelmed if their beloved team essentially swaps Alonso for Walker. After all, the now former Met posted an OPS over 150 points higher than the current Astro in 2025. However, Walker still puts up solid numbers, both at the plate and on the field, and is under contract for the next two seasons.
The move could also give the Mets more opportunities to sign a significant pitcher or two in free agency. Nightengale claims that New York is currently in on starter Michael King and reliever Robert Suarez. ESPN previously ranked the duo as the 15th and 34th-best free agents on the market.
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