Astros' latest move opens roster spot for Christian Walker

After officially announcing the Christian Walker signing earlier on Monday, the Astros have designated infielder Grae Kessinger for assignment to open a spot for Walker on the 40-man roster (per Chandler Rome of The Athletic ). Kessinger, 27, was Houston’s second-round pick in the 2019 draft. The grandson of six-time All-Star Don Kessinger, he showed off excellent bat-to-ball skills in college, hitting .

330 with a .904 OPS in his junior year at Ole Miss. However, evaluators had concerns about his ability to keep up against major-league pitching.



There were also rumblings he wouldn’t be able to stick at shortstop. Indeed, Kessinger struggled at the plate over his first few years in the Astros farm system, and he played all around the infield as the organization looked to maximize his versatility. After his promotion to Triple-A in 2023, Kessinger seemed to take a step forward at the plate.

He improved his walk-to-strikeout ratio and put up a .832 OPS and a 107 wRC+. It was enough to earn him a call-up to the big league club that summer.

However, he failed to make an offensive impact at the major league level, going 8-for-40 with 12 strikeouts, good for a .614 OPS and 73 wRC+ in 26 games. Despite his big league struggles in 2023, Kessinger made the Astros’ Opening Day roster in 2024.

Unfortunately, he continued to come up short against MLB pitching. In 25 plate appearances, he didn’t manage a single hit. He walked thrice, reached once on a hit-by-pitch, and struck out seven times.

To make matters worse, he regressed at Triple-A as well. His OPS dropped by more than 100 points from the year before, while his wRC+ fell to a well-below-average 83. Considering all his struggles at the plate, it’s hardly surprising to see Kessinger DFA’d.

However, he can still provide value with his versatility – he’s played all four infield positions at the MLB level – and there could certainly be a team that sees enough potential in the former second-round pick to claim him off of waivers. If not, the Astros will have the option to send him outright to the minors and keep him in the organization. This article first appeared on MLB Trade Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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