The New York Yankees are eyeing a potential trade that could land them one of the top hitters in baseball.
Despite the expectation for the New York Yankees to boast one of the best offenses in baseball this season, their 23-13 start has been largely impressive due to factors other than their offense.
The Yankees have faced challenges in generating runs in various situations, a worrying sign nearly 40 games into the season. As the trade deadline approaches, they’ll need to address both their pitching needs, like every contending team, and their offensive struggles.
Looking ahead to potential options, Ryan Garcia of Empire Sports Media highlighted three early trade candidates. One of them is Christian Walker, a right-handed slugger from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Walker has primarily played first base throughout his career, with just one appearance in left field back in 2018.
Although Anthony Rizzo has shown improvement in recent weeks, contributing two hits, including a home run, in the team’s latest win, adding Walker would give the Yankees a potent bat to bolster their lineup. Inserting him into the heart of the order could help ignite the offense.
At 33 years old, Walker is a two-time Gold Glove winner at first base, earning the awards in 2022 and 2023.
His performance last season was arguably the best of his career, with a slash line of .258/.333/.497, along with 33 home runs and 103 RBIs. His 123 OPS+ was the second-highest of his career since becoming a full-time player.
In the early stages of 2024, the Pennsylvania native is slashing .280/.391/.490 with an impressive OPS+ of 151.
Currently playing on a one-year, $10.9 million contract, acquiring Walker would likely be a rental for New York. However, he could provide significant benefits as they aim to make a World Series push this season without having to surrender a substantial package for an impact bat.
