Slugging free agent being linked to Pirates feels too good to be true

The Pittsburgh Pirates' situation at first base is bleak, to say the least. The 2024 platoon of Connor Joe and Rowdy Tellez – which wasn't all that formidable to begin with – has since been dissolved, with the former being non-tendered last month and the latter being controversially released in the final days of the 2024 season.

That leaves rookie utility player Billy Cook, who has just 49 Major League plate appearances in his career and is more experienced as an outfielder than as a first baseman. You'd like to think a team with actual postseason aspirations might want to aim a little higher.

This isn't a new problem, either. The Pirates have ranked dead last in first base production since 2020, according to FanGraphs. Could this finally be the year they actually spend in free agency to get a first baseman who can also swing the bat?

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller seems to think so. In his ranking of the top 10 landing spots for free agent first baseman Christian Walker, Miller ranks Pittsburgh as No. 4. That's pretty significant considering MLB Trade Rumors projects Walker to earn $20 million annually on his next contract, which would make him the highest paid player (by a lot) on the Pirates' roster in 2025.

Slugging first baseman Christian Walker being linked to Pirates feels too good to be true

Walker has been a reliable, power-hitting first baseman over the past three seasons for the Arizona Diamondbacks, with 95 home runs and 281 RBI since 2022. Last season, he hit 26 home runs, drove in 84 runs and slashed .251/.335/.468. He is also just two years removed from a career-best 36-homer campaign in 2022 .

Walker is also exceptionally reliable as a defensive first baseman. He has won three straight Gold Glove Awards and led all National League players at the position by a large margin last season with 13 outs above average.

Walker's fit with Pittsburgh is undeniable, but his projected price tag is what makes this potential signing sound too good to be true. MLBTR projects a three-year deal for Walker, due in large part to his age; he will turn 34 during Spring Training in 2025. The largest contract the Pirates have ever given to a free agent is three years, $39 million to Francisco Liriano in 2014; a three-year, $60 million contract for Walker would blow that out of the water.

Pittsburgh spending that kind of money on a free agent signing feels unlikely at best; but, in the words of rapper YG, scared money don't make no money. If the Pirates truly want to see Paul Skenes pitch in October, they're going to have to financially invest in the team around him to make it happen.

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