The Phillies face a $36 million question this spring: What to do with Taijuan Walker?
Walker’s future with Philadelphia remains uncertain as he enters spring training with two years and $36 million remaining on his four-year, $72 million contract. The veteran right-hander is coming off a disastrous 2023 campaign where he posted a 3-7 record with a bloated 7.10 ERA across 19 appearances (15 starts).
Despite being the subject of offseason trade rumors, Walker remains on the roster. MLB insider Tim Kelly of On Pattison suggests the Phillies’ best path forward might be finding a trade partner willing to take on even a small portion of his remaining salary.
“It’s not impossible that the Phillies will keep Walker as the long man in the bullpen if he looks good in Spring Training, although I’d argue that wouldn’t be a great use of one of your bullpen spots,” Kelly wrote. “But I’m not the one paying him $18 million in each of the next two seasons.”
“The best-case scenario for all involved would probably be for Walker to pitch well enough this spring that the Phillies are able to trade him to a team that takes on, say, 10% of his remaining salary.”
From a financial perspective, Kelly’s logic makes sense. Paying 90% of Walker’s remaining contract in a trade scenario beats paying the full amount after a potential release. The challenge is Walker’s current negative trade value after such a poor season.
There’s still hope, though. Walker was an All-Star as recently as 2021, and his career numbers (72-63 with a 4.19 ERA in 217 appearances) suggest he could bounce back. A strong spring training performance could either resurrect his role with the Phillies or increase his appeal to pitching-needy teams.
For a Phillies team with World Series aspirations, figuring out what to do with $36 million of pitching uncertainty remains one of their few unsettled issues heading into the season.
