“Who will start at first base on Opening Day for the Arizona Diamondbacks?” is not a question that has needed to be uttered in a long time due to Paul Goldschmidt and Christian Walker.
Goldschmidt was the Day 1 starter from 2012-18, and after the D-backs traded him away, Walker filled the void. Walker has held down the position since 2019.
After eight years with the D-backs, Walker now enters free agency.
The Diamondbacks can extend him the qualifying offer for one year, but this is his first opportunity to cash in for a multi-year deal entering his age 34 season.
The market projects as top-heavy spearheaded by New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso with many older players set up as short-term flyers.
Who else is out there in case Walker decides to head elsewhere? Let’s take a look at potential free agent options.
Another note to consider, Pavin Smith is the rostered contingency option after he put together his best MLB season, albeit in only 60 games played.
MLB free agent first basemen
Top of the market
(AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Pete Alonso — Alonso is a four-time All-Star with 226 home runs through his first six MLB seasons (38 per season). The right-handed power bat nicknamed the “Polar Bear” will turn 30 years old this winter and command a high price to provide immense power to the middle of a lineup. Alonso is represented by Scott Boras, and his market value projection on Spotrac is six years, $174 million.
Christian Walker — Walker’s ascension from roster bubble to everyday cleanup hitter and Gold Glover has been well documented, as he has been a productive player and key clubhouse leader for the D-backs for years. He is the known commodity, and a return would add continuity to a club that made the World Series in 2023 and missed the postseason with 89 wins in 2024. Spotrac’s projection is three years, $66.2 million, as Walker sits on the next rung below Alonso at first base.
Cody Bellinger — Bellinger has an opt-out with two years and $52.5 million left on his contract with the Cubs. The 2019 NL MVP is now 29 years old and provides a team versatility to play first base or in the outfield. His production in 2024 (.751 OPS, 18 homers) did not live up to his Comeback Player of the Year Award-winning 2023 campaign (.881 OPS, 26 homers), but it was still a decent showing. He is also a Valley native and Hamilton High School alum.
How much is left in the tank?
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Paul Goldschmidt — Goldschmidt will make a very compelling Hall of Fame case one day, and his number should hang above Chase Field the day after he retires. Entering free agency, the seven-time All-Star is now 37 years old coming off a season with a career-low .716 OPS. A silver lining was that he improved in the second half with a .799 OPS, still below his standards. His platoon splits were dramatic, as well, as he put up an .839 OPS against lefties and .675 mark versus righties. MLB.com’s John Denton wrote the D-backs and/or Astros are expected to pursue Goldschmidt.
Anthony Rizzo — The Yankees have a $17 million club option on Rizzo, who is coming off back-to-back seasons with fewer than 100 games played due to injuries. Rizzo has had a heck of a career, primarily with the Cubs where he won the 2016 World Series. His last two seasons have been substandard offensively (.673 OPS) after an excellent 2022 with New York. The left-handed bat is 35 years old.
Carlos Santana — Santana is perhaps on a shortlist of the most underrated players in MLB over the past decade. He has only one All-Star appearance and has been traded four times since 2018. But the switch-hitter has been a solid contributor throughout his 15-year career, and in 2024, the 38-year-old hit 23 homers with a .749 OPS for the Twins while providing superb defense at first base. Spotrac projects him to sign a on-year deal around $5.6 million, a very affordable quick fix for any team filling out a lineup.
Justin Turner — The soon-to-be 40-year-old has moved across the diamond from third to first base, but the hitting production has remained pretty consistent. Turner has not produced an OPS below .737 since 2013, and he was a source of offense for an underwhelming Mariners lineup after the trade deadline this past season. Last year, he signed a one-year, $13 million deal as one of the five oldest players in MLB.
Yuli Gurriel — The brother of D-backs outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Yuli Gurriel is 40 years old and joined the Royals toward the end of the season. The two-time World Series champ has only played 126 games over the past two years with a .659 OPS.
Jose Abreu — The 2020 AL MVP is playing winter ball in hopes of returning to the big leagues after a disaster two-year tenure with Houston (.625 OPS). Abreu was one of the most productive hitters in baseball from 2014-22, but at 38 years old, he may be considered a flyer at this point.
Welcome back?
(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Josh Bell — Walker suffered an oblique injury right before the trade deadline, giving the front office time to add Bell from Miami to fill in the void. Bell proved to be a capable replacement, starting off red-hot with four homers in his first six games. In 41 games played for Arizona, Bell produced a .796 OPS with five homers as a switch-hitter. The veteran is 32 years old and is projected to land a one-year deal.
Wilmer Flores — Flores has a $3.5 million player option that becomes an $8.5 million team option should he decline. Flores has been a steady offensive contributor throughout his career, but 2024 was his worst output since his first cup of coffee in 2013. His season was cut short by a knee injury, but he hit .206 with a .595 OPS in 71 games before then. The 33-year-old was terrific in 2023 and had not produced a below average season via OPS+ (100 average) since 2015. If he walks, he becomes a bounce-back candidate for clubs looking for depth.
Brandon Drury — Speaking of buy-low candidates, Drury’s 2024 season was perplexing. From 2022-23, he exceled with a 119 OPS+ and 54 home runs across the two seasons. In 97 games this past year, Drury’s OPS+ dropped to a miserable 35, as he hit .169 with four homers. Drury told the OC Register he made changes to his swing that backfired. The former D-back is 32 years old and has played all over the diamond, including 611.1 innings at first base over the past three seasons.
Left-handed first basemen to compete with Pavin Smith
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Ryan O’Hearn — O’Hearn has an $8 million club option for 2025 after breaking out for the Orioles over the past two seasons. A late bloomer who was designated for assignment after the 2022 season, the 31-year-old proved himself as a key piece of the Baltimore lineup as they made the postseason in 2023 and 2024. He is only one of nine primary first basemen with 800 plate appearances and a 122 OPS+ over the past two years. His bat went quiet like much of the Baltimore lineup in the second half this past season, but significant improvements in his strikeout and walk rates were promising developments for his outlook. The Orioles may need him back, though.
Joey Gallo — The days of Gallo blasting 40 homers may be well behind him, as he hit 10 in 76 games last year for Washington while dealing with multiple injuries. He popped 21 bombs for the Twins in 2023, but the profile has remained similar. The 30-year-old strikes out a lot (39% in 2024), has not hit above .200 over a full season since 2018, walks a lot and plays solid defense.
Rowdy Tellez — The Pirates made headlines by cutting Tellez four plate appearances short of a $200,000 bonus at the end of the season. Before then, the 270-pound lefty was enjoying an improved second half (.708) in an overall disappointing year. Tellez is still only 29 years old, but the last two seasons have been underwhelming for a player who blasted 35 homers in 2022.
Which teams need first basemen?
The obvious answer are those in position to lose their first baseman: Mets, D-backs, Brewers if Hoskins leaves, Yankees, Cardinals, Twins and Mariners.
The Astros started nine players at the position this season and have a clear hole to fill while looking to keep the contention window open.