The Houston Astros are a team in the face of a change. And any change gives people cold feet. Alex Bregman is a fan favorite and a cornerstone of the team, yet his future in Houston seems to be hanging only by a thread. Along with Kyle Tucker, who was shipped out of town. So, of course, without the All-Star and stars like Bregman, fans are apprehensive about the club’s future. However, amidst all that uncertainty, the Astros got one player who makes all the sense in the lineup— Christian Walker.

Houston signed Christian Walker for three years at $60 million. During his introductory press conference, he shared how he chose the Astros in the first place. “The word you hear a lot is culture. For me, that’s knowing how to win. That’s being used to winning. That’s expecting to win … I’ve been watching this team for a while now, and you know, that edge, the energy, the expectation,” said Walker. And recently he appeared on MLB Network and expressed his utter excitement about going to the Astros for spring training. Plus, he didn’t shy away from addressing the elephant in the room—how does a team move on strong after losing key players?

Christian Walker ready for the Houston experience

Now Walker is extremely positive and feels that the team doesn’t need to find someone who can fill in the shoes of Tucker or Bregman, because they are perennials. Instead, he sees it more like a chance to build something new. And he is also excited to meet his new teammates and contribute too. “I’m looking forward to Spring Training, seeing the work ethic, and feeling the energy in the clubhouse,” he said. Christian Walker is ready to embrace Houston’s culture.

Christian Walker was also asked about his free-agency experience. Because let’s be honest, a player of his caliber, he might have got several calls, which he doesn’t disagree with. He called his free agency experience a “funny little dance.” He mentioned how here the players and the team try to sell themselves. But for him, the criterion wasn’t just the numbers but the fit that mattered. “I wanted to know if the players have control or if the staff is more involved,” Walker mentioned.

However, the culture and the fit weren’t the only things that excited Christian Walker to join the Houston Astros. He was attracted by food! “I love to eat, I love to cook, and the barbecue has me interested,” he shared, and he does sound like a true Texan at heart already. With him embracing the culture, the city, and the team, it seems like he will quickly be a fan favorite. And well, who knows, he might get to play with Bregman too!

Is Bregman’s door to the Houston Astros still open?

For the longest time in the off-season, Alex Bregman and the Astros were busy in what Scott Braun from Foul Territory said was a classic game of chicken. The Astros know how crucial he is in the lineup. The stats just speak a thousand words. He has a career stat line of .272/.366/.483/.848, 265 doubles, 191 home runs, and 663 RBIs in nearly 4,832 plate appearances. But the Houston Astros already gave the most they could, a six-year, $156 million contract, and yet Scott Boras and Bregman didn’t budge. So now they are waiting probably for options to dry for the star, before they can offer something.

And as far as whether Bregman will come back to Houston. A major hint was dropped by Reggie Jackson on X. There he dropped a strange little message for the Astros saying, “Good luck, Astros, with signing Alex Bregman. He’s a very important piece. He’s an Astro through and through. He’s a baseball player all the way.” Now what does this hint at? That Bregman, after all, can budge and come to the Houston mound again.

Now this has happened with Scott Boras clients plenty of times. Teams pause instead of playing along and letting those numbers rise. But Bregman must decide fast because missing spring training isn’t helpful for anyone. And everyone remembers what happened when Jordan Montgomery, again a Scott Boras client, went sans spring training nicely. He is now on the major disappointment list of MLB!

Do you think Bregman will join Christian Walker in the Houston Astros? Let us know in the comments.