The move that the Houston Astros made at the trade deadline wasn't necessarily one that everybody expected, but it was one that got everybody's attention. Carlos Correa is back in Houston after a huge trade with the Minnesota Twins that reunited the infielder with his old team.
While a lot of the talk was around what the Astros had coming in at the deadline, one key player who was almost on the way out was first baseman Christian Walker. Walker was almost part of the Correa deal as Houston tried to get the Twins to take on his contract, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
“The Astros kept hammering away at the Twins, and at one point, even talked about Astros first baseman Christian Walker being part of the package,” Nightengale wrote. “By mid-afternoon Thursday, hours before the trade deadline, they got the Twins to swallow $33 milllion that would be spread over the life of the contract.”
Eventually, the Twins chose not to take on the $40 million in total left on Walker's deal. Instead, he could be on the move this offseason. Moving off of the 34-year old would open up money to spend elsewhere on the roster and would allow Isaac Paredes to play first base next season.
“The Twins had the opportunity to acquire Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker in their Carlos Correa trade talks, but passed, not wanting to take on the two years and $40 million left on his contract,” Nightengale wrote. “It’s possible Walker is shopped this winter to make room for Isaac Paredes at first base.”
Walker has struggled a bit at the plate this season, hitting just .237 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI in 104 games. He is still consistently able to get on the field for the Astros and is a solid contributor in the lineup, but there's no question that his production has declined in recent years.
Still, there may be a team willing to take on the remainder of Walker's contract this offseason and allow Houston to pivot elsewhere at first base even after the Twins refused to do so.
