Fast-rising Astros prospect just made trading Christian Walker easier to stomach

If there's a blemish with the Houston Astros' strategy they have executed this season of toeing the line between rebuilding and competing, it's that their lone big-money investment, Christian Walker, has not been exactly what they were looking for.

First base has long been a trouble spot for the Astros, and unfortunately, Walker's performance this year, a .236/.298/.391, has been reminiscent of year one of the last big-money first baseman the club brought in, Jose Abreu.

That's raising some alarm bells, and at 34 years old, Houston might be staring at the reality that this isn't just a down year for Walker, but rather, the start of his decline. However, an under-the-radar prospect who is quickly rising through the ranks in Will Bush might solve the club's first base need in the near future while providing an escape hatch to extricate Houston from the full three years of the Christian Walker experience.

Fast-rising C/1B prospect Will Bush might give the Astros a future pathway to trade Christian Walker

An afterthought in the 2023 draft, 16th-round pick Will Bush has often been overlooked. A Texas kid, Bush didn't attract much attention out of high school, instead being forced to go the JUCO route and landing at Tyler JC in Texas, where he slashed .357/.510/.615, attracting the Astros' attention.

An impressive rookie league performance gave way to some growing pains in 2024, but an impressive 2025 campaign for Hi-A Asheville that has seen him post a .247/.370/.441 line with 12 homers in 73 games has earned the Astros' No. 16 prospect a promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi.

Should he succeed down the stretch there, the 21-year-old could position himself on a fast track to the big leagues, potentially getting a taste of Triple-A action in 2026 and proving himself ready for big league exposure by next year's trade deadline.

Meanwhile, if Walker can regain some of his old luster, he's batting .269/.351/.478 through 18 second-half games, and maintain an acceptable level of performance through the middle of next season, he could rebuild his value at next year's deadline with a year and a half remaining on his contract.

That would put Houston in a prime position to move on from a player who's going to begin his decline, if he hasn't already, while saving some money and opening up a spot for yet another dynamic young player as the club continues its rebuild-on-the-fly strategy.

None of this is a guarantee, of course, but if you squint, there's a way to see Houston turning the Christian Walker mistake into something of value -- even if the hypothetical trade isn't much more than a salary dump, while replacing him with a young bat loaded with potential. A lot has to go right between now and then, but the development of Bush in conjunction with a rebound from Walker is certainly something to keep an eye on over the next year.

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