Camp Notes: Taijuan Walker’s big day, Weston Wilson’s injury
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Rob Thomson opened up his session with reporters with quite a line.
“I’m so proud of him.”
He was referring to Taijuan Walker, who threw live batting practice for the first time this spring. He faced Bryson Stott, J.T. Realmuto and Max Kepler and recorded five consecutive strikeouts.
He did not record more than two consecutive strikeouts in a game last year.
“The work that he’s put in, he looks better than he did the year he won 15 games, at this point in time,” Thomson said. “I’m really pleased with him.”
Take it all with a grain of salt. Spring training stats mean very little, but the Phillies will benefit from any positive value they can extract from Walker.
“Physically, his movements, his athleticism,” Thomson said. “The ball is coming out hot and the split is fantastic. He was landing his breaking ball. He was good [in 2023] in spring training, but I think he’s better this year.”
He has two years and $36 million left on his contract. If the Phillies release him, they are on the hook for all of it. If the Phillies find a trade partner, they could receive a small amount of salary relief.
There’s also a world where Walker once again opens the season in the Phillies starting rotation. That would require at least one of the five starters in Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez and Jesus Luzardo to begin the season on the injured list. He could also make the roster as the final bullpen arm.
“A lot of the times,” Thomson said. “It works itself out.”
What’s the ideal outcome for the Phillies in this situation? Trading him for a “lottery ticket” prospect and a few million dollars in salary relief means that all of the top pitchers on the roster stayed healthy, and another team was intrigued enough — or desperate enough — to take a chance on Walker.
Camp Notes
- Weston Wilson “felt a grab” in his oblique in the batting cages on Friday. The Phillies are not sure if he will need to see a doctor. He is battling for one of the last bench spots on the Opening Day roster.
- Tyler Phillips will start Sunday’s Grapefruit League home opener against the Baltimore Orioles. Cristopher Sánchez will start Monday against the Pirates in Clearwater.
- The Phillies are “slowly” building up pitching prospect Moisés Chace. “I think he was a little bit behind coming from his home,” Thomson said. “I don’t think he had done a lot of throwing before he came to camp.”
- Andrew Painter threw another impressive bullpen session on Friday to a crowd of Phillies people.