The Phillies are shifting right-hander Taijuan Walker to the bullpen. Supervisor Rob Thomson knowledgeable reporters immediately, together with Matt Gelb of The Athletic, who means that Tyler Phillips is more likely to take the open rotation slot.
Going into the 2023 season, the Phils signed Walker to a four-year, $72MM deal. His first season in Philadelphia was serviceable sufficient, as he posted a 4.38 earned run common whereas taking the ball 31 instances. The workforce didn’t give him a postseason begin, nevertheless, going with a rotation of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suárez, whereas Cristopher Sánchez made one begin as effectively.
2024 has been way more making an attempt. Walker started the season on the injured checklist attributable to proper shoulder irritation. He was reinstated from the IL in late April however went again on the shelf slightly below two months later attributable to proper index finger irritation. That second journey to the shelf lasted from late June to the center of August.
Round these IL stints, he has made 14 begins with a 6.50 ERA. His 16.8% strikeout charge is a profession low, aside from 2018 when he made simply three begins for the Diamondbacks previous to present process Tommy John surgical procedure. His four-seam fastball is averaging 91.5 miles per hour this yr, whereas he has been within the 93-95 vary for a lot of his profession. He has allowed six earned runs in every of his previous two begins.
Within the brief time period, Walker’s poor efficiency isn’t going to sink the membership. Their 78-55 document is among the greatest within the majors. They’ve a five-game lead over Atlanta within the East and would virtually definitely have a Wild Card spot even when that membership runs them down.
Every of Wheeler, Nola, Suárez and Sánchez are having good seasons, giving the membership a robust entrance 4 that ought to carry them by way of the top of the season and into the playoffs, so long as everyone seems to be wholesome. The additional off-days within the postseason typically permit membership to get by with three or 4 starters, fairly than 5 – 6 within the common season.
Rosters increase from 26 to twenty-eight on September 1, with golf equipment capable of go from 13 pitchers to 14 as the utmost allowed. Having Walker as an costly lengthy reliever within the bullpen shouldn’t be too cumbersome from a roster building viewpoint.
The long-term query is a little more difficult. Walker’s deal pays him even salaries of $18MM in annually of his deal, which means there’ll nonetheless be two years and $36MM remaining as of this winter. As Gelb highlights, groups not often quit on gamers with that a lot cash nonetheless to be paid out, normally hoping that some type of bounceback will come to move. He does point out just a few exceptions, itemizing Pablo Sandoval because the participant launched with probably the most cash nonetheless owed: $48.3MM. A number of different listed examples embrace Robinson Canó ($37.6MM), José Abreu ($35MM) and Madison Bumgarner ($34MM).
Walker shall be in that vary however Gelb additionally provides that the membership nonetheless feels there’s a path for getting him on observe subsequent yr, which shall be his age-32 marketing campaign. “This system that he was on to attempt to acquire velocity, we didn’t have sufficient time,” Thomson stated. “Like, that program’s a protracted program, and we form of minimize this system off early. I feel if he has a full offseason of that program, we have now a greater likelihood of seeing some enchancment.”
Gelb provides that the membership had Walker on a weighted ball program whereas he was out with the aforementioned finger damage. As talked about earlier, his velocity has been down this yr. Maybe he’s by no means been 100% wholesome this yr and has a path to get again on observe in future seasons.
That might lead the Phillies to being affected person to see how issues play out subsequent yr, nevertheless it’s doable the rotation will get extra crowded over time. Wheeler, Nola and Sánchez are all signed by way of at the very least 2027, whereas Suárez nonetheless has yet another arbitration season left, so he must be round by way of 2025. Prospect Andrew Painter may very well be extra an possibility by then. He virtually cracked the membership’s rotation in 2023 however accidents put a cease to that and he ultimately underwent Tommy John surgical procedure final summer season.
Gelb relays that Painter lately had a setback in his restoration however the membership characterizes it as regular soreness for this a part of the rehab course of. He was additionally slowed by an sickness lately. He’ll doubtless have workload restrictions in 2025 since he solely threw 103 2/3 innings in 2022, adopted by two misplaced seasons. Nonetheless, he’s nonetheless ranked as one of many prime pitching prospects within the sport and may very well be pushing for an enormous league debut subsequent yr.
Ideally, Walker will merely return to kind and make this a non-issue. After getting back from his aforementioned Tommy John surgical procedure, he posted a 3.80 ERA over the 2020-22 seasons, which is what prompted the Phils to carry him aboard. Even when Painter will get in good kind subsequent yr, there’s no ensures that the opposite 4 shall be wholesome, so Walker might definitely be wanted. Suárez might additionally depart in free company previous to 2026, the ultimate yr of Walker’s deal. Although if the struggles from Walker proceed, the temptation to launch him could develop, particularly as the cash nonetheless owed to him shrinks over time.
For now, the membership will flip the ball over to Phillips. He has debuted this yr and thrown 36 innings with a 5.50 ERA. Gelb additionally means that Kolby Allard may very well be a candidate to take a spot. Nevertheless, the lefty was simply optioned on August 26 and desires to attend 15 days from that date earlier than being recalled, except he’s changing somebody occurring the injured checklist. Allard has a 3.50 ERA in his 18 innings this yr. He has a 5.92 ERA in his huge league profession and a 5.45 ERA in Triple-A this yr.