Right-hander Taijuan Walker entered the professionals as the 43rd overall pick of the Mariners in 2010. Walker didn’t realize his vast potential with the Mariners, nor has he since they traded him a few years ago, but a reunion between the two could be in the offing. Walker’s now a free agent, and Seattle’s “definitely interested” in bringing him back, Greg Johns of MLB.com writes.
Walker, once among the game’s premier prospects, left the Mariners in a blockbuster trade just over three years ago. That deal sent Walker and now-star second baseman/outfielder Ketel Marte to Arizona and delivered middle infielder Jean Segura (now a Phillie) and outfielder Mitch Haniger to Seattle. Walker was then coming off his second straight reasonably productive season in the majors, and the 6-foot-4 starter debuted well with the Diamondbacks in his first year with the club before injury troubles cut him down.
During his initial campaign with the Diamondbacks, Walker pitched to a 3.49 ERA/4.04 FIP with 8.35 K/9, 3.49 BB/9 and a 48.9 percent groundball rate across 157 1/3 innings. But Walker totaled a mere 14 frames over the next two years (just one last season) on account of arm problems. Walker underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2018, which is one of the reasons Arizona decided to jettison him earlier this winter instead of paying him a projected $5.025MM in his final run through arbitration.
While the D-backs didn’t want to take a chance on Walker in 2020, he does look like an intriguing free agent in an ever-dwindling marketplace. A rebuilding team like Seattle, which has few to no established arms in its rotation after Marco Gonzales, looks like a good fit.
padnastikador
More teams should be
fighting69th
Agreed.. did the M’s trade him or let him go I can’t remember. Wish the Angels would’ve been in on him.
fighting69th
Disregard, should’ve read the recap of the deal
larry48
M’s traded Walker to Arizona.
ayrbhoy
If indeed there are multiple teams interested I have a hard time believing Tai wants to come back to Seattle- Dipoto didn’t want a Jack Z draft pick on his team
The-Two-Germanys
Sign Walker, let the ink dry on a new Hultzen contract and then let’s get this band back together again.
paullovestacos
We’re on a mission from GOD
tedsfrozenhead
That is priceless.
algionfriddo
Mariners… PLEASE get this done. Taijuan is a solid bet to be a mid rotation level guy if healthy. An incentive laden deal is ideal here.
MarinerMiner
I agree. He is young enough that he even could fit their future plans in regards to the rotation. I also really want to see the M’s offer Betances a one year deal which would give them a potential trade chip mid season if he proves healthy.
mr. g
Cubs please.
The Human Toilet
They would have to give him a MLB deal, and the Cubs have no money, Theo is currently living in his car and the The Ricketts family can be found at the local homeless shelter in Chicago. Times are rough…
compassrose
I agree he would be a good pick up. It is usually a year to come back from TJ surgery. He had so much potential would be great to have him Marco Dunn and Sheffield then one of the other guys I forget their names at the moment. They are looking good in AA. Which could turn into a complete failure that is the nature of the beast. Seattle needs some luck with some of these picks they haven’t had the best of luck. Not going to say deserves I don’t think any one deserves anything from a poor run team. Next few years should be interesting good or bad.
khopper10
Gilbert is the name you’re looking for
Benjamin560
Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Isaiah Campbell, Brandon Wlliamson, Sam Carlson, and Ljay Newsome are all promising prospects. Seattle’s farm system has quickly reloaded its arm’s race, along with the 6th pick in next year’s overall draft.
bradthebluefish
Would be a good addition and worth the risk.
Richwp01
Walker is a flyer more teams should be looking at. Mariners already signed Graverman
steelerbravenation
Hanigar & Seager to Braves for Waters, Riley & Muller
foreverseahawk
im with you on that trade steeler but can the brave afford seager
steelerbravenation
Why not he basically makes what Hamels makes. AA is willing to pay Donaldson more over the course of the next 2-3 years while Seager is essentially signed for less than what they are willing to give them
Maybe you even get Seattle to eat some money for a better prospect. For me only Pache, Anderson & Contreras would be off limits.
Riley would be the key to the deal for the M’s as they don’t seem to have a 3B of the future and his power plays to their park.
JaredK38
What about Haniger, Seager plus 15 million for Riley, toussaint, and Wright? Maybe mariners even throw in a bullpen arm like tuivallala or Swanson.
steelerbravenation
Lbringing in Hanigar I would say makes Waters expendable and I am still not ready to give up any of the young arms. I believe all of them can be successful once they find what role the fit in.
I feel Wilson can become a dominate bullpen arm closer of the future type and I see Touki becoming a Ramiro Mendoza type reliever a guy that can throw 100 innings out the bullpen
Wright I see getting maybe 10-15 starts this year and then moving into the rotation next year when Hamels leaves.
Anderson will then fill his role and then move into the rotation when Folty leaves. I feel like Newcomb will be the breakout Brave this year. It takes LHSP that throws the heat he does awhile to put it all together. His problem is not stuff it’s location. I think Kranitz will harness that with a full offseason
JaredK38
I totally understand why you wouldn’t want to give up on Touki and Wright. However, Mariners are stacked at OF prospects. While Waters is a great piece. The Mariners need a future 3rd base (Riley?) and lots and lots of pitching. Maybe we would have to add more to get all three….But this move makes sense for both sides.
houkenflouken
Any trade involving Haniger cannot bring back an outfielder. We have a bunch of those and would rather bring back 2 pitchers and an infielder or something.
Nuke LaLoosh
Make it happen M’s.
Nuke LaLoosh
And get Alex Wood while you’re at it.
throwinched10
100%.
Gonzales, Wood, Walker, Kikuchi, Graveman, Sheffield, Dunn. All of them have the opportunity to earn a place in the rotation for 2021 and beyond.
politicsNbaseball
With his injury issues how come no one is talking about a move to the pen? He definitely has the arsenal to be a good reliever.
houkenflouken
I’m sure that’s in the back of people’s minds if he can’t cut it as a starter, but as we know SPs have more value and he was a very interesting SP before he got hurt. He can always make a move to the pen after a SP tryout.
Dag Gummit
Because injury concerns usually aren’t as big a shift-to-the-pen flag as an “electric 1.5-/ 2-pitch pitcher”, I suppose. To me, RP joints seem to blow up just about as much as SP joints, though it would have to get parsed out to know better than my intuited guess.
jd396
I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get signed as a cheap fixer upper project and find some success.
bigdaddyhacks
Ms grab him and make him a closer.
jbigz12
This is guy the Orioles need to be in on. I don’t understand why the O’s wouldn’t kick the Tires.
Lets Go DBacks
Because the health issues might be too concerning. Rather keep the money in the pocket then. If I were owner of a tanking team I’d keep the GM on a tight leash of spending my money.
frankf
I’d love it if the Cubs would take a flier on him. I mean Rickett’s would probably have to sell a kidney or something, but hey.
tango1036
Ms should offer Walker a $3m to $4m one year contract with performance bonuses and an additional year’s extension.
7heals
I like the prospect they have that they’ve gotten in a trades last year what they really need right now for the next season is back of the bullpen shut it down pictures set up & closers they do need like I said I wasn’t happy at first with the trades but I’m just glad that now the minors have a good players to make that up
Dag Gummit
The just need pitchers. The rotation (5th worst with 5.21/ 5.12/ 5.4 ERA/ FIP/ WAR) was just as bad as the pen (4th worst with 4.77/ 4.87/ 0.4 ERA/ FIP/ WAR), after all.
tedsfrozenhead
Take an incentive laden flyer on him and see what he’s got left.
I don’t think the Mariners trade Haniger until they see how he comes back from the ball buster. Although he struggled early last season he is a 5 tool player with superstar potential. You see what he will give you and trade him at the deadline if you don’t like what he brings