Ideal Walker Replacement for Philadelphia Phillies Predicted To Land $50 Million

A potential Taijuan Walker replacement for the Philadelphia Phillies has been predicted to land a contract the club could give him.

Sep 24, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Taijuan Walker (99) reacts while he is removed from the game against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

With the Philadelphia Phillies season now over, they'll have to make a decision on Taijuan Walker.

The right-hander still has another two years on his contract, but it wouldn't be the most surprising thing to see the Phillies eat the rest of his deal considering how poorly he's been on the mound during his time with the club.

If they were to get rid of Walker, they'd have to replace him.

There are options in the farm system, and it's fair to say they should look to give some of those guys an opportunity due to how talented they are, but for a team built to win a World Series right now, finding a veteran arm seems to be the more logical solution at this point.

There will be multiple starters schedule to hit free agency, and even more, including Michael Wacha, could become free agents if they opt-out of their deals.

Wacha would be an excellent addition, as he's been lights out throughout the past three campaigns.

The right-hander has posted a sub-3.40 ERA and pitched at least 127.1 innings in each season during that span. Factor in his playoff experience, and signing him wouldn't be a bad decision from the front office.

The question regarding Wacha would then be centered around how much money he could expect to get in a new contract.

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN believes it could be for $50 million over three years, but he also noted that a two-year deal with a higher AAV could be possible.

"Wacha is likely to opt out of the $16 million player option he has and will get a multiyear deal after a career year with the Royals, but he's more of a reliable source of veteran innings than an impact starter. The confounding part is his velocity went up 1.5 mph this season, so some organizations that excel at pitching development could see more upside under the surface. Wacha could get over $50 million on a three-year deal, but I think a two-year deal at a high AAV is more likely."

There doesn't seem to be any chance that Philadelphia will blow things up this winter.

Perhaps they won't want to bring more money in, but if they believe their core has a chance to win a World Series, which they do if they play at the top of their game, then adding an arm like Wacha would be the way to go.