With the start of the regular season right around the corner for the It hasn’t been a busy winter for the Phillies, but it has been a solid one.
They had a few clear needs in the starting rotation, bullpen and outfield, and even though they didn’t make a huge splash in free agency, they did improve in these areas.
Arguably the most significant move that they made was acquiring Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins. The talented left-hander dealt with some injuries in 2024 which resulted in a down year, but he has a ton of potential.
In 2023, the 27-year-old totaled a 3.58 ERA and had over 200 strikeouts. He looked like he was on his way toward becoming a star for the Marlins, but he only was able to start in 12 games last season and was rather ineffective because of injury.
However, despite the shaky showing, the talent is there for Luzardo.
Not only could be in the long-term plans for Philadelphia at his age, but he will fill a massive need in the fifth spot of the rotation.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently spoke about what the starting rotation would look like for the Phillies on Opening Day. Despite the unit being extremely strong, they have a looming issue with one of their starting pitchers.
“The Phillies still owe Taijuan Walker another $36 million over the next two years, but they don’t need him in the rotation and arguably don’t have a spot for him in the bullpen after Joe Ross was signed to serve as the long reliever, so his future is cloudy at best.”
It was an awful season for Taijuan Walker in 2024.
After winning 15 games in 2023, the 32-year-old just simply looked lost on the mound last season.
With a 3-7 record and 7.10 ERA, it’s easy to understand why Philadelphia traded for Luzardo to replace Walker in the rotation. However, with $36 million being owed to him over the next two years, the Phillies are stuck with him for now.
During Spring Training, Philadelphia will surely be evaluating how Walker performs. With the starting rotation stacked with talent, the bullpen could be the logical place to put him.
However, if he continues to struggle before the season begins, it might make sense just to buy him out and part ways to avoid the headache.
