MLB Trade Rumors: Christian Walker Plugs 1B Hole in San Diego in Proposed Deal

One of the names that has been on the rumor mill since the end of last season is first baseman Christian Walker of the Houston Astros.

After signing a three-year, $60 million free agent deal with Houston last offseason, he was a disappointment for the team in 2025, posting his lowest batting average and on-base percentage since becoming a regular with the Arizona Diamondbacks seven years ago.

Now, going into his age-35 season, the Astros aren't too keen to see through the final $40 million and two more years of Walker's deal. They would like to move him.

One team that is looking for a first baseman is the San Diego Padres. They let Luis Arraez walk in free agency and now have two defensively-challenged options to play first: the newly-acquired Nick Castellanos, and Gavin Sheets.

A proposed deal that sends Walker to San Diego could plug that hole for the Friars. Christopher Kline of Fansided has this mock trade for us:

San Diego Padres receive:

Christian Walker, 1B

Houston Astros receive:

Bradgley Rodriguez, RHP

Walker is a three-time Gold Glove winner at first base, and while his defensive metrics dropped fairly significantly in 2025, it's fair to say he should still be better at the bag than Castellanos or Sheets. Plus, he still brings 25+ home run power, even if his strikeouts have gone way up.

Rodriguez is the 6th-ranked prospect in the Padres system. The 22-year-old Venezuelan made an impressive debut in 2025, though it was only 7.2 innings' worth. The high-octane reliever has electric stuff, and can touch triple-digits on the radar gun.

"San Diego's bullpen is a strength, so it can afford this sacrifice — even if years of quality relief work from Rodriguez in Houston might sour this trade for the Padres in hindsight," writes Kline.