Philadelphia Phillies Pitcher Named Team's 'Worst' Bang-for-Buck Player

The Philadelphia Phillies right-hander has struggled like never before and was demoted to the bullpen because of it.

Aug 28, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Taijuan Walker (99) throws a pitch against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies front office has done little wrong over the past few years, and because of that, the team has arguably been the best in Major League Baseball over that span. 

While they don't have a World Series to show for it, they've come as close as any other team in baseball that hasn't won one. The Phillies lost in the World Series two seasons ago and fell in the NLCS a year ago. With the second-best record in the National League, they look to be right in the mix to win it all this year. 

Plenty of that is because of the team the front office has put together. On paper, there's a strong argument that Philadelphia is the best team in baseball. However, there have been a few down spots on the roster. 

One of those players is Taijuan Walker, a right-handed pitcher. When Walker joined the Phillies, the hope was that he'd continue doing what he did when he was a member of the New York Mets. 

Unfortunately, he hasn't been half of the arm he once was, posting a 6.48 ERA this year. He also owns a 1.6 WHIP and has only struck out 53 hitters in 73 2/3 innings pitched. He's never been much of a strikeout pitcher, but it's never been as bad as in 2024. 

He's also on a four-year, $72 million deal until 2026, taking up 7.3% of the team's payroll.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently named him the team's "worst bang-for-your-buck player," highlighting his struggles on the mound. 

"After years of battling injuries, Taijuan Walker strung together a pair of strong seasons with the New York Mets, and he was able to parlay that performance into a four-year, $72 million deal from the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the 2023 season. The 32-year-old went 15-6 with a 4.38 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 172.2 innings in his first season with the team, but the bottom has fallen out this season as he has struggled to a 6.50 ERA and 1.64 WHIP over 14 starts."

There have been a few rumors about him potentially being designated for assignment. It's uncertain if Philadelphia would do that, considering the playoffs are around the corner. However, if he doesn't start figuring it out soon, that might be their only option. 

He was demoted to the bullpen, so he'll have one last opportunity to prove he can help them in that department.

It's been an unfortunate two seasons with the team, but hopefully, he figures it out, as he still has another two years remaining on his contract after this one.