As Philadelphia Phillies fans enter the home stretch of what's been a slow-moving and largely value-driven offseason, a casual look at the current 40-man roster validates early offseason comments by Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski that the team's primary goals this winter would be focused on reinforcing and upgrading a handful of glaring trouble spots that became increasingly evident as things took an unfortunate turn for the worse during the second half of the 2024 season.
And now that most of the mystery and speculation regarding who will complete the starting rotation, play left field, and close tight ball games next season is now mostly null and void, the bigger question shifts to whether the Phillies did enough to improve this offseason after failing to sign a big-name free agent. That all depends on what type of impact buy-low free agents closer Jordan Romano and outfielder Max Kepler could have next season, but the biggest addition of the offseason arrived when the Phillies traded for left-handed starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo.
Bringing Luzardo into the fold has seemingly answered the pressing question of who exactly will comprise the five-man starting rotation in 2025. Last year saw the Phillies repeatedly try and fail to stabilize the back of the rotation by questionably trotting out high-priced and underperforming right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker. Walker was never able to put it all together in 2024 after injuries, poor performance, and a drop in confidence contributed to the worst statistical season from a Phillies starting pitcher in 30 years and resulted in an uninspiring record of 3-7, in addition to a 7.10 ERA and a -1.6 bWAR.
MLB insider hilariously misses the mark naming Phillies' Taijuan Walker a top trade chip
With the Phillies likely to employ a rotation featuring Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Luzardo, Walker's 2025 role and the $36 million remaining that the Phillies are on the hook to pay him over the next two seasons remains a topic of considerable interest. With nearly every facet of his skill set in a state of total decline, paying Walker $36 million to perform mop-up duty or make spot starts is not what the Phillies envisioned when they signed the right-hander to a four-year, $72 million deal during the 2023 offseason.
With Walker's current value on the trade market at an all-time low, this year will likely see Phillies brass once again tasked with deciding between handing Walker a roster spot and a definable role, or taking a massive $36 million loss should the team decide to release him at some point during spring training.
But maybe there's another way. According to veteran baseball insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Walker was recently named as a strong candidate to still be traded this winter, as Nightengale recently named Walker as one of the top starting pitcher trade chips teams could target.
It goes without saying that very few Phillies fans would have any problem with the team making a deal involving Walker, but is it realistic to even think that the Phillies could actually find a taker? That depends on a host of factors. The ideal scenario would see the Phillies dealing Walker to a team with pitching needs and splitting what remains on the deal. But rival MLB front offices would already know that they have the Phillies front office over a barrel in trade talks, with any interested teams likely hoping the Phillies will pay the entire $36 million remaining on his contract in exchange for maybe a middle-tier prospect for their trouble.
While labeling Walker as a top trade chip wasn't exactly Nightengale's finest moment, a scenario could exist if situationally and geographically displaced ball clubs like the Athletics or Tampa Bay Rays want to bring in a former All-Star-caliber name in an effort to quiet the naysayers among their fan bases this offseason. That's especially true if teams like the Athletics' and Rays' 2025 playing conditions have scared off prospective free agents who are hesitant to sign a deal that would require them to trade in all of the comforts that come with playing in modern MLB stadium facilities and exchange it all for a situation that promises nothing of the sort, with both teams slated to play all 81 home games in modestly sized minor league stadiums in 2025.
A trade scenario to a team like the Athletics or Rays would probably be the most dignified end for Taijuan Walker's time as a member of the Phillies, but as we all know, dignified ends aren't always the way things go in the notoriously cutthroat business of Major League Baseball.