Yankees targeting 3-time Gold Glover to replace Anthony Rizzo
Sep 24, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (48) gestures to the dugout after hitting a two run home run in the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees could be poised to replace Anthony Rizzo with another multi-time Gold Glover.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Thursday that the Yankees are among the teams who plan to “aggressively” pursue first baseman Christian Walker in free agency this winter. Nightengale notes that there are at least six teams who are in on Walker, including the Yankees, the New York Mets, the Washington Nationals, and the incumbent Arizona Diamondbacks.
Walker, 33, is a three-time Gold Glover who has been with Arizona since 2017, including as their starting first baseman for their 2023 World Series run. The righty batter hit .251 this past season with 26 home runs and 84 RBIs in 130 games (after back-to-back 30-plus-homer seasons before that).
Fresh off a World Series run of their own, the Yankees now have a need at first base after recently declining their $17 million club option for 2025 on Rizzo, their first baseman since 2021. Though Walker’s power and defense combo will make him a highly-coveted free agent, we recently learned that the Yankees could go with an even higher-upside target at first base.
