Should Houston Astros Hit Panic Button Over Struggles of Veteran First Baseman?

It has been a great stretch for the Houston Astros after their sluggish start, with the team looking like a contender once again in the American League.

Coming into the year, there was reason to be concerned about the state of the franchise. Over the winter, they lost a couple of notable players, including Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman.

As two of the best hitters that the team has had for years, their loss was expected to have a significant impact on the lineup. That has certainly been true with both doing well for their new teams, but Houston has been able to find ways to win.

Their pitching staff has been better than expected overall, with the bullpen being one of the best units in baseball.

Furthermore, some of their younger hitters like Jeremy Pena and Isaac Paredes have stepped up with some veterans struggling. Unfortunately, one of their top free-agent signings has yet to get going, which has held the team back a bit.

Should Astros Be Concerned Again About First Base?

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the struggles of Christian Walker for the Astros to start the season.

“Christian Walker hasn't exactly had an encouraging start to his three-year, $60 million deal. The three-time Gold Glove Award winner has minus-2 defensive runs saved at first base, and has just a .633 OPS.”

This winter, Walker was one of the best first basemen available on the market alongside Pete Alonso. As a former Gold Glove award winner and a slugger with 30-home run capabilities, the veteran was quite desirable.

However, while he has had success recently, his age was a bit of a concern. First baseman don’t seem to be aging well in terms of being effective later in their careers, and Houston took a risk signing him to a three-year deal at 34 years old.

So far, that deal has backfired. Walker has slashed .209/.271/.360 with eight home runs and 27 RBI. While the offensive production hasn’t been great, his defense has also struggled.

Considering the Astros just had a failed signing at the position with Jose Abreu not too long ago, it appears like history is repeating itself with Walker so far.

Moving to a new team can sometimes take time to adjust, and Houston will be hoping that is the case with their first baseman. While the age is certainly a concern, the dramatic drop off in one year would be surprising if it didn't improve.

Hopefully, he can bounce back in the second half of the season and be a contributor both on offense and defense.