Phillies and ex-Mets pitcher Taijuan Walker agree to 4-year, $72million deal
A day earlier, the Phillies reportedly landed shortstop Trea Turner (29) with an 11-year, $300 million contract.
Walker spent the past two seasons with the New York Mets. He was an All-Star for the first time in 2021, though he finished 7-11 with a 4.47 ERA in 30 games (29 starts). This year, he went 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA in 29 starts.
A first-round draft pick of the Mariners in 2010, Walker played in Seattle from 2013-16. He spent 2017-19 with the Arizona Diamondbacks before splitting the 2020 season between the Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays.
In 167 career games (163 starts), Walker has a 54-50 record with a 3.89 ERA, 806 strikeouts and 284 walks in 898 innings.
Walker joins a rotation topped by right-handers Zack Wheeler (32) and Aaron Nola (29) and left-hander Ranger Suarez (27). Right-hander Zach Eflin (28), a Philadelphia starter for much of the past seven years who pitched in relief during the 2022 playoffs, reportedly agreed to a three-year, $40 million free agent deal with the Tampa Bay Rays last week.
The Phillies reached the World Series this year before losing in six games to the Houston Astros.
The Mets have lost two starting pitchers in less than a week, as right-hander Jacob deGrom (34) signed a five-year, $185 million free-agent contract with the Texas Rangers on Friday.
