After the Philadelphia Phillies pulled off a surprising blockbuster trade, they might have to make some more changes to the roster soon.
The team agreed to a deal with the Miami Marlins that will send prospects Starlyn Castro and Emaarion Boyd to Miami in exchange for high-upside starter Jesús Luzardo, a move that sees the Phillies lean heavily into deep rotation depth.
Luzardo will join the likes of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez among the Phillies’ rotation, with top prospect Andrew Painter waiting in the wings to join the big-league club sometime in 2025. With those six players set to share starting duties, it raises a question about what the Phillies might do with veteran starter Taijuan Walker as he enters the third year of a four-year, $72 million contract.
Walker is a former All-Star who posted a 3.49 ERA season with 29 starts in 2022. But he struggled mightily in 2024, posting a 7.10 ERA as he was relegated in and out of the rotation, and it’s unclear if he’ll ever recapture his best form. Writing for FanSided, Christopher Kline noted that the team’s decision on Walker should be “brutally obvious.”
“Phillies should kick Taijuan Walker to the curb after Jesús Luzardo trade,” Kline wrote. “Philadelphia needs to trade Walker. That is easier said than done, as he’s owed $18 million annually through 2026, but it’s something the Phillies need to prioritize.”
If the Phillies really could recoup some value by dealing Walker, even if it means eating a portion of the salary he’s owed over the next two seasons, the team would likely jump at the chance. But it’s unclear just how much the Phillies would need to pay for the chance to trade Walker to another team.
Kline noted that the Phillies might explore integrating Walker into a deal for St. Louis Cardinals veteran Nolan Arenado, who is also owed some big paydays over the next few seasons.
“Walker and prospects for Arenado doesn’t feel especially likely, but it’s the sort of trade (Phillies executive Dave) Dombrowski should at least explore,” per Kline. “There has to be a way out of Walker and the inherent distraction of carrying such a massive dead-weight contract on the books.”
After the addition of Luzardo made the Phillies rotation plans for 2025 pretty clear, it seems Walker’s remaining time with the team could be limited.
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