Phillies Acquire High Strikeout Left-Handed Reliever Josh Walker in Trade

The Philadelphia Phillies have added another reliever to the equation.

Mar 9, 2025; Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Josh Walker (21) throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies need to find a replacement for Jose Alvarado.

While that might be a borderline impossible task considering he is one of the best left-handed relievers in the sport, the front office has to find some sort of answer in regards to a backfill option.

Late on Thursday night, the team made an announcement that they acquired Josh Walker from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations and have optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

The left-hander was recently designated for assignment by the Blue Jays, so the Phillies decided to make a trade offer in lieu of risking another team claiming him off waivers.

When it comes to the addition of Walker, not much stands out on paper.

He only appeared in three games with Toronto this year and posted a 7.20 ERA where opponents batted .364 off of him. In the two previous seasons with the New York Mets, he had a cumulative ERA of 6.24 in 24 outings.

However, Walker has shown to be a high-strikeout guy in the minors.

Across his 128 appearances where he threw 276 1/3 innings, he rung up 312 batters while largely limiting damage with a 4.07 ERA.

Whether or not he can get to that point in the Majors is yet to be determined.

The left-hander doesn't have overwhelming velocity with a four-seam fastball sitting in just the mid-90 mph range, but he pairs that well with a curveball when he is pitching at his best.

Walker isn't the only flyer Philadelphia has taken on a reliever, either.

They also claimed Lucas Sims off waivers after he was released by the Washington Nationals. So with the addition of these two, the Phillies have added two more options to the mix as they search for more bullpen arms.

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