Free agent Christian Walker to join Astros on 3-year deal, pending physical: report

Gold Glove first baseman Christian Walker and the Houston Astros agreed Friday to a three-year contract worth $60 million US, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.

Houston acquired infielder Isaac Paredes from the Cubs last weekend in the trade that sent outfielder Kyle Tucker to Chicago, and Walker's agreement likely means the Astros plan to start Paredes at third and won't re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman.

Walker, who turns 34 during the opening week of the season, hit .251 with 26 homers, 84 runs batted in this past campaign. That was down from 2023, when he batted .258 with 33 homers and 103 RBI as the Diamondbacks reached the World Series.

He didn't secure a full-time job in the big leagues until 2019. He's provided consistent power over the past six seasons and has grown into an elite defensive first baseman, winning Gold Gloves in each of the past three seasons.

Walker played college ball at South Carolina and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2012. He made his major league debut with the Orioles in 2014 but couldn't stick in the majors and was claimed off waivers by Atlanta, Cincinnati and Arizona in a five-week span.

"He's a phenomenal player," Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said. "He's the best defensive first baseman in baseball. He's a self-made player in a lot of ways, and I respect that immensely. What that gave our clubhouse was a lead by example that was pretty elite."

Walker had a $10.9 million salary last season and turned down Arizona's $21.05 million qualifying offer.

Houston will lose its second- and fifth-highest picks in the 2025 amateur draft.

Sugano's resumé is impressive

When Tomoyuki Sugano took the mound in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic, pitching for Japan against the United States, it was a pretty good preview of what the major leagues might feel like.

"Having the opportunity to pitch at Dodger Stadium in the 2017 WBC against the American team was a dream come true," he said through a translator. "That really solidified [my] feelings of wanting to pitch in the big leagues one day."

Now Sugano is on his way to the majors, although he's joining a team on a different side of the country from Dodger Stadium. after reaching a one-year, $13-million US deal with the Baltimore Orioles. Now 35, the right-hander will be eight years removed from that WBC showdown when next season begins, and while his accolades in Japan are impressive, the question is whether he can produce similar results in the U.S.

Although Japan lost that WBC clash 2-1 in Los Angeles, Sugano allowed just an unearned run and three hits in six innings against an offence that included Christian Yelich, Nolan Arenado, Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey and Giancarlo Stanton.

Lest anyone assume that Sugano is well past his prime, he is coming off a third MVP season in Japan's Central League. He went 15-3 with a 1.67 earned-run average last season for the Yomiuri Giants, walking.16 batters in 156 2/3 innings.

"Obviously not a guy that throws 100 miles per hour, but [I'm] very confident in [my] control, command, [my] pitch mix," he said. "That's why [I've] had a lot of success in Japan. [I'm] not looking to really change anything now. [I want] to use [my] pitch selection, [my] pitch mix, [my] command, to pitch in the States and see where it takes [me]."