Entering the third year of a four-year contract with the Phillies, Taijuan Walker’s time in Philadelphia could be ending sooner rather than later.
Walker, 32, is coming off the worst season of his career. Battling injuries, the veteran right-hander posted a 7.10 ERA in 83 2/3 innings in 2024. His extreme lack of effectiveness led to a move to the bullpen in September.
Walker did make a start in the final month of the season. But the Phillies didn’t have much of a choice. Their fifth-starter situation was not good over the final two months. Walker’s issues were a large reason why.
Walker will be in Clearwater in a few weeks. He’ll report to spring training alongside every other Phillies pitcher and catcher. Nothing is guaranteed for the veteran.
At the start of the offseason, the organization told Walker he’d compete for a roster spot come spring training. Walker, along with other candidates, would be fighting for the role of fifth starter. But that competition seems unlikely now.
Earlier this winter, the Phillies acquired left-hander Jesús Luzardo from the Marlins. Luzardo is expected to round out the Phillies rotation. The lefty will join Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, and Ranger Suárez. The acquisition of Luzardo puts Walker out of the club’s rotation plans, at least for now.
2023 and 2024
Walker was a good starter for the Phillies two seasons ago. Signed to help the middle of the club’s rotation, the now 32-year-old did just that. He finished the year with a 4.38 ERA (98 ERA+) in 172 2/3 innings, making 31 starts.
Sandwiched between a rough start and a not-so-strong finish to the year was a stretch of really good pitching for Walker. In 16 starts between May 7 and July 31, the right-hander pitched 91 innings with a 2.97 ERA and 3.74 FIP. Among qualified starters during that stretch, Walker’s ERA was eighth. His FIP was 28th.
The rough ending to his season — he posted a 5.43 ERA between August and September — led to him not seeing the mound in the playoffs.
Walker’s performance on the whole helped stabilize the Phillies rotation in 2023, a season in which the club went 21-10 in his starts. But last year, his performance did the exact opposite.
Walker had a shoulder issue in spring training. The injury delayed the start of his season. He made his first start in late April, allowing six runs in 6 1/3 innings against the Padres in San Diego. Things never got better.
The right-hander allowed 27 earned runs over his next nine starts. Opponents hit .279/.350/.492 against Walker in that stretch. He was eventually placed on the injured list in late June with a blister issue. He didn’t return to action until mid-August and wasn’t any better upon his return.
One of the biggest reasons for the right-hander’s problems last year was the ineffectiveness of his splitter; it was his bread-and-butter offering in 2023.
| Statistic | 2023 | 2024 |
| Usage | 33.2% | 21.9% |
| xBA | .233 | .297 |
| xSLG | .342 | .564 |
| HardHit rate | 44.9% | 53.7% |
| Barrel rate | 4.4% | 12.2% |
| Run Value per 100 thrown | 0.5 | -3.5 |
Walker’s velocity, compared to 2023, wasn’t where he needed, or wanted it, to be, either.
| Pitch | 2023 | 2024 |
| Splitter | 87.9 mph | 86.7 mph |
| Sinker | 92.4 mph | 91.1 mph |
| Four-seam Fastball | 92.8 mph | 91.5 mph |
His velocity did increase after his mid-season injured-list stint, but it still didn’t return to where it was the year prior.
Altogether, it was a historically bad year for Walker, whose 7.10 ERA was one the highest ever posted in Phillies franchise history.
2025 Outlook
During his time on the injured list last summer, the Phillies had Walker doing a weighted-ball program to help him gain velocity. Doing such a program for only six weeks during a season is not ideal. The results were mixed. He’s doing the program in full this winter. The results should be better.
Walker will be fighting for a roster spot when spring camp begins. Nothing will be handed to him. He’ll have to earn it. The chances of him making the Phillies roster will depend on what happens with other pitchers.
An injury to a starter could boost Walker back into the Phillies rotation. If everyone else stays healthy, and he pitches well, maybe he stays with the team as a long relief option to open the season. Maybe a pitching-hungry club tries to acquire him via trade. In that scenario, the Phillies would likely have to pay a large portion of Walker’s remaining $36 million salary over the next two seasons. If he struggles, the Phillies may just cut ties with Walker.
The situation will remain fluid throughout spring training. But right now, it feels more likely than not that Walker’s time with the Phillies is closing in on its end.
