Could Christian Walker Help the Twins Patch the Correa Trade Fallout?
Coming out of the Winter Meetings, the Minnesota Twins are staring down a familiar issue - an offense that just didn’t hold up when it mattered most. While the pitching held its own, the bats went quiet down the stretch, and if this team wants to stay competitive while reshaping its long-term identity, something’s got to give on the offensive side.
They’ve already made one move to address it, signing Josh Bell to a one-year, $7 million deal. On the surface, it’s a solid value play.
Bell brings switch-hitting power and a veteran presence. But there’s a catch - his defense at first base has been suspect throughout his career.
If the Twins want to field their best lineup, Bell might be better off as a designated hitter, which opens up a question: Who’s playing first?
That question ties directly into one of the most polarizing moves the Twins have made in recent memory - trading Carlos Correa back to the Houston Astros last July. The deal sent shockwaves through the fan base and signaled, at least at the time, that Minnesota was closing the book on its last competitive window. The return didn’t soften the blow either: a 26-year-old low-minors pitcher in Matt Mikulski, who has since been released, and a commitment to cover $33 million of Correa’s remaining contract.
At the time, it looked like the Twins were simply taking the best offer on the table. But there’s more to the story.
According to reporting from Bob Nightengale, Minnesota initially tried to include veteran first baseman Christian Walker in the Correa deal. Houston didn’t bite.
Walker had just signed a free-agent deal the previous offseason and still had two years and $40 million left on it. That ask, though, tells us something important: the Twins weren’t just trying to shed payroll.
They were looking for a way to stay competitive in the short term - even without Correa.
Now, months later, Walker’s name is circulating again. The Astros are reportedly looking to clear up a logjam at first base and DH, and Walker could be the odd man out.
But there’s a reason interest around the league has been lukewarm. His 2025 numbers were underwhelming - a .238/.297/.421 slash line with a 99 wRC+ and just 1.1 fWAR over 154 games.
Those are league-average numbers at best, and for a player owed $40 million over the next two years, that’s a tough sell.
But the story doesn’t end there. Walker showed real signs of life in the second half of the season, launching 15 home runs and posting a 120 wRC+.
That’s a meaningful uptick, especially for a team like Minnesota that could use some thump in the middle of the order. Add in his still-solid glove at first base - he posted 2 Outs Above Average in 2025 - and there’s a case to be made that Walker could be a stabilizing force for a young infield and a pitching staff that needs reliable defense behind it.
This is where the Correa deal could get a small redemption arc.
The Twins are already sending $10 million per year to Houston as part of the Correa trade. There’s a scenario in play where the Astros agree to offload Walker while covering a chunk of his remaining salary - say, $16-20 million of the $40 million owed.
That kind of financial compromise would make Walker a much more palatable addition for Minnesota. The Twins might need to toss in a lower-level prospect to seal the deal, but the cost would be manageable.
Let’s be clear: this wouldn’t undo the sting of trading away Correa for next to nothing. But it could help soften the blow. Walker wouldn’t be a game-changer, but he’d be a stabilizer - a veteran with pop, solid defense, and the ability to bridge the gap between a rebuilding roster and a team trying to stay in the playoff conversation.
Sometimes you don’t get to win a trade. Sometimes the best you can do is salvage it - and make the aftermath a little less painful.
Whether the Twins pull the trigger on Walker or look elsewhere, one thing is clear: they’re still trying to thread the needle between retooling and competing. And getting that balance right could define the next few seasons in Minnesota.