The Braves have claimed 1B/OF Christian Walker from the Orioles, the Orioles have announced. The O’s designated Walker for assignment last week when they acquired Richard Bleier from the Yankees.
Walker was once a well-regarded prospect in the Orioles’ system, winning the team’s minor league player of the year award after a strong 2014 season spent mostly at Double-A Bowie. He has since struggled to get much traction at Triple-A Norfolk, however, batting a decent but modest .264/.321/.437 there last season. Walker had little chance at a roster spot with the Orioles once the team re-signed Mark Trumbo this past winter.
Walker does, however, have an option remaining, and he’s relatively young, at 25. While his Triple-A numbers haven’t been impressive, they also haven’t been horrific, so it seems possible he could yet emerge as a viable big-leaguer with a bit of improvement. If he does, his ability to play both first base and left field should give the Braves or some other organization at least a couple ways to use him. The Braves, of course, have Freddie Freeman at first, but it’s possible to see Walker helping the team out as a backup and in the outfield (where he could potentially serve as a right-handed caddy for Nick Markakis) at some point this season.
Very nice waiver pick up
Agreed. You don’t often grab 18-20 HR AAA hitting 25 yr olds off waivers. A good spring could land him on the bench instead of signing Kelly Johnson.
Adam Walker was to be guy.
Thou shalt blasphemy KJ… the annual trade must happen!
that’s to funny.
Really like this pick up. Good bench bat
Except he’s never hit MLB pitching.
Is it just me or do the Braves look pretty darn good on paper
I’m a Mets fan and believe they have some good talent.
I hope the Phillies and Braves are much better than most expect.
The Braves look a darn sight better than they have in awhile. Not predicting post-season or anything like that, but definitely looking up.
It’s just you.
Nah, really, it’s good to have hope this time of year. The Braves do look better on paper than the Padres (but who doesn’t?), and I’d say the Reds and maybe the Brewers, Angels, A’s, Twins, and White Sox too.
In the division, the Phillies could stall or regress; the Mets could over-injure or underachieve; the Marlins could flop; and you’re looking at a battle for 3rd or a very distant 2nd in the NL East.
They look better but they have so many unknowns. If everything doesn’t go perfectly as planed they will suck again. Freeman and Julio, BP and most likely colon are just about the only certainties. Kemp, Markakis, dansby, who Evers playing 3rd, flowers, bullpen, dickey, rest of the rotation. You don’t know what your getting from them. I wouldn’t include dansby but he doesn’t have enough Ab’s to project future performances. They need a lot to go right, if not they’re probably fighting for 4th, 2018 is a different story though
I think that depends on what you mean by pretty darn good.
So disappointing as an Os fan. Walker is only 25 with an option and was minor league player of the year just a couple seasons ago. Playing in Norfolk also depresses numbers some. I think they must not have felt he was ready to handle defensive duties as an outfielder in the majors as he was converted from 1st being blocked by Davis. If he can play some outfield and first in Atlanta I think he could be a regular player. Good young pickup for a Braves team trying to compete and rebuild at same time. Grabbing a guy right when he’s ready and deserving of an opportunity without having to develop or buy with the added bonus of an option.
I’m guessing the Braves had a spot on the 40 man available because Jacob Lindgren is on the 60 man DL.
And I forgot Sean Rodriguez also is on the 60 man DL too.
That’s a lot of guys on the DL.
Does this make Freddie Freeman expendable for a blockbuster with the Rangers? It may be the key to acquire Gallo, Profar, Mazara, Trevino and Mendez. Freeman plus either Markakis or Kemp should get it done. Or Freeman and Markakis to Boston for either Bradley or Betts plus Devers, Benintendi, Groome and Swihart. Or Freeman and Markakis to Houston for Springer, Bregman, Martes, K. Tucker and Stubbs.
Just stop
Yeah that’s never going to happen and you should just never bring that up in your consciousness again.
as a braves fan…. this is simply pretty dumb. lol
Walker was terrible in the outfield, had no chance of playing 1B in Baltimore over the next five seasons, and isn’t a good enough hitter to be a full time DH. Congratulations, Atlanta, for picking up a player who wasn’t projected to be good enough to make the Orioles roster at any point in the next two seasons. He won’t play 1B in Atlanta, and you will cringe if you put him in the OF, and there is no DH in the NL. So you got a nice 25th roster spot guy.
To all the O’s fans who are bemoaning his departure, we have a long and storied history of thinking our fringe minor leaguers are all going to be stars if they just get a chance, Luis Matos, Luis Mercedes, Larry Bigbee, Matt Riley, Brad Bergeson. Shall I continue? Fringe players are replaceable and Walker had already been passed on the food chain by Mancini who might not make the team either. It’s not a big loss.
Same was said exactly about Ender Inciarte when the Phillies gave up on him. Now has $Mn100 excess value.
That’s a stretch there bud, he’s not very good. We saw proven MLB guys with similar skill sets struggle to get MLB contracts this offseason and he’s never put that together past AAA.
8 runs in the 9th Chaz roe you need to fix everything gahleah