Mets lose starting pitcher to division rival: reports
Taijuan Walker had 146 strikeouts with the Mets last season
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Philadelphia Phillies reportedly bolstered its rotation on Tuesday after already striking big with the addition of shortstop Trea Turner.
The Phillies signed right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker to a four-year, $72 million deal, according to multiple reports. Walker will leave the New York Mets for the Phillies following the route new teammate Zack Wheeler took before the start of the 2020 season.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Taijuan Walker, #99 of the New York Mets, throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning during a game at American Family Field on Sept. 21, 2022 in Milwaukee. (Getty Images)
The 30-year-old righty is coming off the best two seasons of his career. In 2022, he won a career-high 12 games with a 3.49 ERA and 132 strikeouts. He was an All-Star in 2021 as he struck out 146 batters with a 4.47 ERA. He had signed with the Mets before the start of the 2021 season.
Walker’s agent, Scott Boras, talked up his client’s market ahead of the reported deal.
Taijuan Walker, #99 of the New York Mets, pitches during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field on Sept. 16, 2022 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As you can see in the marketplace, there’s a whole number of pitchers that are throwing 60 and 70 innings that have been pursued, probably with the exception of (Jacob) deGrom, at the lower end of threshold around $13-15 million a year because the demand for quality pitching is so great," Boras said.
"So, Tai ... is one of the younger ones, one of the more durable ones, and we expect him to be pursued greatly as his market unfolds."
New York Mets pitcher Taijuan Walker throws during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 30, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Phillies won the National League pennant in 2022 behind a rotation of Wheeler and Aaron Nola.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.