The Philadelphia Phillies entered spring training in February with very few question marks regarding roster decisions. Of course, there's likely to be some focus on the backup catcher situation playing out between incumbent Garrett Stubbs and former top prospect Rafael Marchán, and the last spot in the bullpen is currently up for grabs too. But unlike last year at this time, the Phillies' five-man rotation is pretty much set for Opening Day, barring any injuries.
Part of that confidence is a result of the Phillies' most impactful offseason move. When the Phillies completed a four-player deal with the Miami Marlins just before Christmas, the acquisition of left-handed starter Jesús Luzardo added what many viewed as the missing piece in a solid starting rotation. Recently ranked the second-best rotation in MLB by Matt Snyder of CBS Sports, the Phillies rotation of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Luzardo looks formidable as currently constructed.
But baseball is a long season, and with injuries to starting pitching staffs a near certainty over the course of the 162-game MLB season, starting pitching depth at the MLB and MiLB levels is a must for teams like the Phillies who are expected to be playoff contenders. While the Phillies have top pitching prospect Andrew Painter back on the mound and healthy following a lengthy recovery from Tommy John surgery, it's looking more likely that the Phillies will wait until after the All-Star break to give the talented right-hander his first MLB call-up.
That opens the door for other options, like offseason free agent signing Joe Ross and former All-Star Taijuan Walker as the most likely pitchers on the Phillies 40-man roster to make starts for the Phillies should injuries to the rotation occur during the first half of the season.
Phillies’ plan to treat Taijuan Walker as a starter shows they have no idea what to do with him either
With Walker coming off the worst season of his 12-year MLB career, a season where he went 3-7 with a 7.10 ERA over 19 games (15 starts), and with expectations and confidence in his ability to be a productive starter having hit an all-time low, the only obvious role this season would seem to be in the bullpen. With two years and $36 million remaining on his contract, and his trade value nearly non-existent, Phillies manager Rob Thomson's recent comments about Walker being stretched out as a starter raised some eyebrows.
After speaking to the media on Sunday following Walker's solid two-inning spring training performance against the Toronto Blue Jays, Thomson was asked if Walker was destined for a bullpen role this season following the addition of Luzardo, Thomson was quick to pour water on the idea that the Phillies view Walker as anything else but a starting pitcher, according to On Pattison's John Foley.
"No, rotation," said Thomson, per Foley, when asked what Walker's potential role will be. "I mean, if somebody else doesn’t throw well and he’s throwing great, you know? Who knows what’s going to happen? We’ve got a ways to go yet. And usually it works itself out."
Walker has seen his four-seam fastball reach close to 94 mph this spring following a drastic drop in velocity last season. His first spring training line of one strikeout, two hits and one earned run over two innings is encouraging, but it's hard to believe that Thomson's comments were anything short of window dressing to prop up Walker's value should a trade opportunity present itself.
While Thomson's comments have rightfully solicited eye rolls from media members and Phillies fans alike, it's not a terrible idea to make Walker publicly look good with rival MLB clubs always on the hunt for quality starting pitching. It's also not unreasonable to believe that if Walker puts up solid spring training numbers and another team with rotation needs should show interest in acquiring him, the Phillies will likely jump at the chance to unload the inconsistent right-hander, although they will also likely be paying a large portion of his remaining $36 million salary commitment in any deal.
With that said, Thomson is known as a player's manager who tries to instill confidence in his players by saying the right things to the media, and perhaps Walker will play a pivotal role this season while contributing a few starts on occasion out of the bullpen. But if the the Phillies can find a way to sell high on Walker in a trade before Opening Day, the result would be a win-win situation for the organization.