Colorado Rockies: 3 potential trade targets at first base

Neil Walker, New York Yankees

If you are wondering if there’s a first baseman who is struggling as much as Ian Desmond out there, look no further than the Bronx and Neil Walker.

Colorado Rockies

Wait a minute, you say. I’m talking about the Rockies entertaining the thought of bringing someone in who is struggling perhaps as much as the player we’re talking about him replacing? Yes … but hear me out here.

In his first American League season and having a one-year, $4 million contract, Walker is hitting just .200/.289/.250 in 29 games. Yes, those are absolutely atrocious numbers. However, let’s look before his days in the pinstripes. In nine seasons prior with the Mets, Pirates and Brewers, he put together a .272/.341/.437 slash. That includes 38 games with Milwaukee last season when the Mets traded him to help the Brewers try to catch the Rockies for the second Wild Card spot. In those 38 games, he hit .267/.409/.433.

Walker has succeeded in the National League before and was seen as a solid trade piece as recently as last season. The Yankees aren’t enamored with him and have Greg Bird coming back very soon to take over at first base. Send a player to be named later for Walker and bring him to Coors Field to see if he can rediscover his National League mojo with the Rockies.

He’s played just 41 games at first base in his career, with the majority of those coming over the last two seasons. But a lack of experience at first base hasn’t stopped the Rockies lately, right? He has played primarily second base since breaking into the league in 2009 so there’s the versatility the Rockies love as well.

Next: These numbers show just how much the Rockies are struggling at the bottom of the order

Reality check: It’s a stretch but it could happen. New York is overflowing in the infield and Walker could be the odd man out and looking for a new home. Make an offer and see what happens.