Was It a Mistake For Philadelphia Phillies to Sign Walker and Let Eflin Walk?

Signing right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker instead of Zach Eflin might come back to haunt the Philadelphia Phillies.

Regina Ham | May 18, 2023

Was It a Mistake For Philadelphia Phillies to Sign Walker and Let Eflin Walk? /

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Philadelphia Phillies

There's zero question that the Philadelphia Phillies could have a great pitching rotation. Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and recently returned Ranger Suarez will arguably be the reliable guys on the mound. Matt Strahm will be... okay. But a big concern for the squad is Taijuan Walker.

Walker signed a big offseason contract for a four-year, $72 million deal. In 2022 he was great with the New York Mets. He had one of the best seasons of his career.

The righty started 29 games, he posted a 3.49 ERA, 2.6 bWAR, and a 1.19 WHIP in 157 innings pitched, striking out 132 batters while walking 45.

So far through 2023 with the Phillies, it's not going as planned. As much as they'd like him to be an ace, he's really more of a joker. Wednesday's 7-4 series loss to the San Francisco Giants showed he might still be dealing with his early season struggles.

By the bottom of the first, Walker got the Phillies in a 4-0 hole. He gave up four runs on four hits and two walks for 40 pitches. Manager Rob Thompson yanked him immediately. Six relievers were needed to end the pain.

But who might not have put the Phillies in this kind of position? Zach Eflin.

Now granted, before everyone is up in arms, Eflin is not the health-reliable choice that Walker is for the rotation. Remember he was sidelined in 2022 after 13 starts before his knees became a big problem and he was out until the postseason.

Eflin was never going to be the starting ace the Phillies needed but putting him at the fourth or fifth spot in the rotation would've been better. During the 2022 postseason in his 6.1 innings in the NLCS and World Series, he struck out seven, walked one, and prevented even a single earned run from scoring. Well done.

Walker, while not having the knees of an old man, just gave up four runs in half an inning. Hmm.

Eflin would've been more cost-effective, as a mid-rotation guy he would take a one or two-year deal. He was a reliable reliever.

Instead, Walker is going to be a slow-motion disaster.

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Published May 18, 2023

REGINA HAM

Regina Ham is an editor and writer for Inside the Phillies. As an alumna of the University of Maryland-College Park, she studied both broadcast and multimedia journalism. A six-year veteran of the sports industry, she's worked in radio, television, and online media. You can follow her on Twitter @regina_ham or Instagram @reginamariesports. Upon her undergraduate education, Regina went to work in 2016 for Sirius XM-Satellite Radio on College Sports Nation/ESPNU for two years. During her time in school, Regina interned at a variety of Washington, D.C.-area media organizations, including NBC Sports Washington and WTOP. There she assisted in coverage of local MLB and NHL teams. She also interned down at WAAY 31 in Huntsville, AL and worked on stories regarding the local Minor League Baseball affiliate and SEC football. Regina worked in international sports television for almost four years, covering sports from MLS to the KHL and the KBO. She joined Philly Sports Network in 2022 and covers both the Phillies and Philadelphia Flyers before joining the Sports Illustrated network in 2023. You can follow her on Twitter @Regina_ham or on Instagram @reginamariesports. If you have any questions or comments, she can be reached at regina.ham28@gmail.com.