Philadelphia Phillies' High-Priced Starter Dealt Another Tough Message By Organization

We already had heard that Taijuan Walker was fighting for the last spot on the Philadelphia Phillies roster this spring. That was further crystallized on Tuesday in another report.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Taijuan Walker (99) throws a pitch against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park in 2024. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

We heard last week that Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker is fighting for the final spot on the team's roster. That was further crystallized on Tuesday when it was reported that the Phillies sixth starter is Joe Ross, not Walker.

That paints an even more dire picture, as Walker isn't even viewed as the guy who could fill in for an injury in spring training. That leaves him with multi-inning bridge reliever as really his only path to contributing on the Phillies.

The 32-year-old really struggled in 2024, going 3-7 with a 7.10 ERA as the Phillies won the National League East. He made 15 starts.

A 12-year veteran, Walker has played for the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks and Phillies. He's 72-63 lifetime.

If Walker is unable to win the final job in the 'pen, the Phillies will have a few options with him. They could designate him for assignment and release him, while eating most of the remaining money on the contract. Or, they could simply trade him, also likely eating a significant portion of the money. If a team suffers an injury in camp, they could find Walker an intriguing trade option, but that will take some time to materialize.

The Phillies are set to go with Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzuardo in the rotation, provided everybody is healthy.

The Phillies last made the World Series in 2022 and were eliminated by the New York Mets in the NLDS a season ago.

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