The Philadelphia Phillies have some kinks to work out, but the starting rotation hasn’t been one of them.
The Phillies are the only team in Major League Baseball to stick with the same 13 pitchers up to this point in the season, as the staff has posted a big-league best 297 strikeouts.
But now the team will have to make room for reigning All-Star lefty Ranger Suárez as he’s set to make his season debut on Sunday. That could mean shifting to a six-man rotation, moving someone to the bullpen or, as Chris Landers suggested for FanSided, cutting ties with a veteran.
“Ranger Suarez’s return should spell the end of the Taijuan Walker experience,” Landers wrote. “…the Phillies have seen this movie before; they know who Walker is at this point, and that’s not a guy who’s worth contorting your entire pitching strategy around. Shift Walker into a multi-inning relief role, or flip him for assets; anything but tempting fate by buying into his recent hot streak.”
After signing a four-year, $72 million deal with the Phillies in 2022, Walker has been a disappointment. He posted a 7.10 ERA in 15 starts in 2024 before being relegated to the bullpen and, while he’s been better so far in 2025, it’s clear he would be the first starter to move if the Phillies want to stick with a standard five-man rotation.
But Walker’s significant salary could make it hard to find a trade suitor for him. And the Phillies’ bullpen has struggled, suggesting the easiest transition, at least at first, would be to move Walker into the relief corps.
But while that would be the cleanest way to shuffle things and make room for Suárez, it’s hard to say how Walker will endure as the season goes on.
“…there’s plenty of reason to believe that regression is coming,” Landers added. “We all saw just how awful Walker was last season, for starters, and his xERA (3.94) and FIP (4.05) numbers suggest that he’s gotten a bit lucky over this recent stretch. The Phillies should treat Walker’s start to this season as found money and get out of dodge while they still can.”
Another potential wrinkle: The Phillies could be looking to promote top prospect pitcher Andrew Painter in the near future as well. All told, if the team can get some kind of trade return for Walker this season, it might be time to pull the trigger.
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