The Houston Astros have a crowded infield and are likely looking for ways to shake things up this offseason. With Yordan Alvarez taking over the designated hitter spot, the Astros need to move on from one infielder, especially a corner infielder.
While there weren't many great trade partners, one emerged at the MLB Winter Meetings as a realistic partner in a trade. The New York Mets, after losing Pete Alonso to the Baltimore Orioles, could make for a trade partner this winter.
For USA Today writer Bob Nightengale, the Astros are predicted to trade $60 million first baseman Christian Walker to the Mets to help New York replace Alonso.
Astros predicted to trade $60 million infielder to Mets
"The Mets take a run at Bellinger," Nightengale writes, "but wind up trading for Astros first baseman Christian Walker..."
If the Astros could find a trade partner with Walker, then it would be an ideal move to make this winter. Isaac Paredes, who's significantly cheaper, is the current player that the Astros are most likely to trade in the infield.
But, Walker, who is owed $20 million each of the next two seasons, would be a much better player to trade away this winter.
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With the Mets out on Alonso due to his $155 million Orioles contract, and the Mets sticking to two-three three-year deals, Walker makes sense for their timeline.
The only question left would be what the Astros could get in return. Walker is coming off a down 2025 season where he hit just.238 with a.717 OPS, the worst mark of his career since 2018.
The Astros trading Walker would be an ideal move this winter, and Nightengale's prediction gives some hope that such a trade with the Mets could happen.
It's still a long shot, but the pathway to a potential trade with Walker is now evident. If Houston could trade Walker, even if it's not for a lot, it would be a worthwhile trade for Dana Brown and the Astros to make.
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