PHOENIX — Christian Walker returned to Chase Field, the park where he played 410 home games for the Arizona Diamondbacks over the previous eight years, for the first time as a visitor on Monday.
Walker entered free agency at 34 years old last winter, and he found a new home with the Houston Astros.
“Everything’s on the other side,” Walker joked before reconnecting with former teammates and coaches on the field during pregame warmups.
Walker received a tribute video in the second inning that highlighted moments from the 2023 World Series run, his dominance at Dodger Stadium and defensive web gems over the years. He tipped his cap to the fans while receiving an ovation.
Walker manned first base for the Diamondbacks for six years after the Paul Goldschmidt trade, alleviating the loss of a franchise icon by developing into one of the top first basemen in MLB. He won three Gold Gloves and made a case for an All-Star nod in 2024.
And here’s the Walker tribute video: https://t.co/s9bcAnv9y7 pic.twitter.com/MqbGho2KcB
— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) July 22, 2025
The veteran said he was never close to signing with another club during free agency, including the Diamondbacks. When speaking to a sizable group of reporters in the road dugout at Chase Field, Walker opened up about that free agency process.
“Without getting into the free agency stuff too much, not a lot of talk there at the end,” Walker said of the possibility of returning to Arizona. “As far as like, was it an option? Was it a possibility? I guess officially no offer made, so it is what it is.
“Of course we circled back with the Diamondbacks. I feel like that was the right thing to do, professional thing to do.”
Walker signed a three-year, $60 million deal with Houston after declining the qualifying offer from Arizona. His first phone call was Tony Perezchica, the former D-backs infield/third base coach who departed for a greater role in Houston earlier in the offseason.
The D-backs quicky pivoted by trading for Josh Naylor, and they just used the compensatory pick from losing Walker on Louisville pitcher Patrick Forbes in the 2025 MLB Draft.
Walker denied ever rejecting an offer from the Diamondbacks.
“Houston was interested, we were very interested in the city,” Walker said. “They matched the number we were looking for and that’s it. It wasn’t very much of this or that. Regardless of the leverage you feel you have in free agency, I think you still have to be a good fit for a team from the dollars to the team dynamic to the team needs.
“The rumor mill was flying, for sure. I don’t remember exactly what it was. It’s not about a revenge situation or anything like that. It’s family over there. I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of those guys.”
Walker stamped his place in Diamondbacks history by working his way from a castaway by three other organizations in one spring to one of the more accomplished players in team history. He is fifth in club history with 146 home runs.
Along the way, he became a reliable clubhouse voice, someone whose locker other players gathered around after games last year.
“You talk about really cheering and rooting for guys that continue to work hard, reinvent themselves and come out the other end,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “We had some amazing years here together. It’s just nice having him back in the building.”
Christian Walker reflects on his Diamondbacks tenure and what he’s most looking forward to ahead of his return to Chase Field. pic.twitter.com/SOxH2AvBYT
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) July 22, 2025
Lovullo said defense came to mind when asked what moments stand out from Walker’s D-backs days. That and how he made Dodger Stadium look like a sandbox.
Walker said the moment he will never forget is the four straight home runs Arizona hit in Game 3 of the 2023 NLDS against the Dodgers. Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, Walker and Gabriel Moreno provided the power that eliminated the Dodgers from the postseason and vaulted the D-backs to the NLCS for the first time since 2007.
But what meant most to Walker about this ballpark was that this became the place he felt like he could stick in the major leagues, where he finally established himself as a regular who could perform at this stage.
“Feeling like I belong in the big leagues I think is what comes to mind,” Walker said. “Showing up to the ballpark every day feeling like you have some job security. That’s a really special place to be.”
With the Astros, Walker admitted his season got off to a slower start than he’d like. He entered this series hitting .230 with a .669 OPS and 12 home runs. He called it a challenge but noted that he’s feeling more like himself lately.
He looked forward to facing his teammate of six years in Zac Gallen, joking that Merrill Kelly was going to hit him if they matched up.
Walker grounded out in his first at-bat, but he got the better of Gallen for an RBI double in his next opportunity.
