Surprise Christian Walker landing spot would leave all of baseball baffled

Christian Walker is probably the offseason's most underrated and widely coveted free agent. Every team that misses on Juan Soto will be looking for another bat (or several) to fill the void. Moreover, Walker is arguably the best first baseman available in a free-agent pool that includes Pete Alonso. His offense is impressive enough, but Walker is also a three-time Gold Glove winner.

His reliable bat, combined with genuinely elite defense at first base, should drum up quite the market. Walker is 33, so don't expect too much long-term money, but he'd make a smart short-term add for a number of teams.

The expected suitors are a list of free agency heavy-hitters you've heard before — Mets, Yankees, Mariners, etc. — but there is a dark horse, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

What if the Norristown, PA native went home and joined the Pittsburgh Pirates?

It's a compelling thought, but unfortunately, Rosenthal pours a bucket of cold water on his own proposition, noting the complications inherent to courting a top free agent to the Steel City.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB offseason.

Christian Walker is the perfect Pirates target, but a homecoming is unlikely

On the surface, Walker is exactly what the Pirates need — a stable, middle of the lineup slugger who can provide veteran leadership and a dependable defensive presence in the corner infield. Pittsburgh has been working out Bryan Reynolds at first base, but Reynolds should maintain more value in left field. Planting Walker at first base addresses a positional void and gives the Pirates' anemic offense a much-needed boost.

That is the issue, though. Walker is exactly what a lot of teams need and, as Rosenthal soberingly reminds us, the Pirates aren't going to outbid most teams, much less the Mets or Yankees.

"The problem for the Pirates is that Walker is an ideal fit for a number of clubs, including either or both New York teams that fail to sign Juan Soto," he writes. "And the idea of the Pirates winning a bidding against with the Mets or Yankees – or any club, for that matter – is almost laughable."

That last word — "laughable" — has to sting if you're a Pirates fans. Folks have been begging Bob Nutting to spend more for ages, but we all know how this ends. Pittsburgh is a competent offense away from potentially winning the NL Central. That rotation has real juice with Paul Skenes and Jared Jones at the helm, but Pittsburgh's offense ranked near the bottom of the NL last season and it figures to grade out similarly in 2025.

Walker isn't exactly the most expensive free agent on the market at 33 years old, but he's coming off his third straight Gold Glove campaign, in which he slashed .251/.335/.468 with 26 home runs and 84 RBI. This was a disappointing season on balance for his Arizona Diamondbacks, but there's no denying that Walker held up his end of the bargain.

Pittsburgh deserves a competitive team — and a front office that is given the freedom to operate with some level of aggression. That's not the word we live in, however, so don't count on Walker donning a Pirates jersey next season.