Christian Walker expected to make $40-$80 million this offseason per ESPN

Over the past three years, Christian Walker’s value has skyrocketed. Before the 2022 season, he signed a one-year, $2.6 million contract to stay in Arizona. In 2023, that figure jumped to $6.5 million, and ahead of this season, it reached $10.9 million. Comparing the nearly $11 million Walker is earning this year to the modest $589,500 he made in 2020 highlights his growing importance both at first base and at the plate.

The Diamondbacks understood the risks of signing Walker to consecutive one-year deals. With the 2024 offseason approaching and Walker enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, the team will need to open their checkbooks if they want to retain one of the top first basemen in the National League.

According to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, Walker’s upcoming contract could be in the $40-$80 million range. This would place him alongside other aging stars such as Clay Holmes, Tanner Scott, Jeff Hoffman, Anthony Santander, Nathan Eovaldi, and Luis Severino.

Before landing on the IL in late July, the 33-year-old Walker was on pace to set a new career high in home runs, secure at least 20 doubles for the fourth consecutive season, and finish with around 100 RBIs. If he returns before the end of the year, he is likely to earn his third Gold Glove in as many seasons.

The Diamondbacks have limited options at first base. Their top power-hitting first baseman in Triple-A, Deyvison De Los Santos, was traded to Miami’s farm system at the deadline in a deal that brought reliever A.J. Puk to Arizona. However, De Los Santos’s glove could not compare in the slightest to what the D-backs have in Christian Walker.

Another Arizona name on McDaniel’s free agent list is Jordan Montgomery, who has recently been embroiled in drama involving his former agent, Scott Boras. Montgomery has struggled this season, posting a career-worst 6.44 ERA across 19 starts. Ahead of Arizona’s series against the Red Sox, Montgomery told the Boston Herald that Boras “butchered” his offseason negotiations.

Due to these struggles, McDaniel considers Montgomery a “wild card” in this winter’s free agency. McDaniel wrote, “Montgomery will make either $22.5 million or $25 million next season, depending on whether he makes 23 starts this year. It makes sense for him to return to Arizona at a good number and hope to bounce back before hitting the market again.”

At the top of McDaniel’s 2024-2025 free agency list is Juan Soto, who, as McDaniel described, is expected to make “the GDP of a small country.”