Taijuan Walker

zappa1 · 12-07-2022, 07:32 AM

Taijuan Walker is now a Philly. Had a nice year with the Mets last year. 4 years, 72 million. I like what Dombrowski is doing. Took care of the infield need and went right to work on the rotation. Don't know how Walker is going to pan out but he did fine last year. Seems like he learned to keep the ball in the ballpark a bit more. He'll most likely be the 4th man in the rotation.

Déjà Bru · 12-07-2022, 12:26 PM

In OOTPB, you will recall, there is a label as to current team focus. "WIN NOW" would definitely be showing on the Philadelphia Phillies if you were setting up your 2023 MLB league based on real life.

Amazin69 · 12-07-2022, 08:00 PM

Oh goody! An entire Mets rotation (Walker, Wheels, Thor) in Philly, while the Mets play Rent-a-Grandpa at $43,000,000 @.

Is Billy Eppler working for the Phillies, too? Sigh.

zappa1 · 12-08-2022, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amazin69

Oh goody! An entire Mets rotation (Walker, Wheels, Thor) in Philly, while the Mets play Rent-a-Grandpa at $43,000,000 @.

Is Billy Eppler working for the Phillies, too? Sigh.

Don't get excited. Thor is gone and free to sign if ya want him.

Amazin69 · 12-08-2022, 01:02 PM

The Mets could do a lot worse than Thor…and they probably will. He carried a full season's workload (the big concern after the injury) and put up a 103 ERA+ despite spending part of the year in Baker Bowl 2.0 or whatever that bandbox in Philly is called.

But just because he's not putting up Ks at arm-endangering rates, people are treating him like he's Matt Harvey or whatever. Ridiculous.

(Did a lot better in Anaheim than Jose Quintana did, I'm just saying. I know Eppler doesn't want to pay any attention to Angels games [out of shame, I'd assume], but the stats are right there in black and white.)

Westheim · 12-08-2022, 03:37 PM

Has anyone seen Matt Harvey, actually? I hear the Mets need pitchers.......

zappa1 · 12-09-2022, 11:11 AM

Matt Harvey signed with Baltimore on April 8th, 2022. He bounced around the minor leagues all year. From the South Atlantic League, Eastern League and International League. With Norfolk, Bowie and Aberdeen. He went a combined 8-1 with a 3.71 era. 13 games all starts. Completed 2. 70.1 innings. It seems to me he might be trying to come back from injury. Anyway November 10th 2022 he was granted free agency. He's 33 will turn 34 in March.

Syd Thrift · 12-09-2022, 03:10 PM

Tai Walker is a finesse guy (relative to baseball in 2022) who can give you 5 innings a night. I’m not really sure what the big whoop is here. Sure, give him the money because any player deserves it more than an owner does, but I don’t know, man.

dsvitak · 12-09-2022, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

Tai Walker is a finesse guy (relative to baseball in 2022) who can give you 5 innings a night. I’m not really sure what the big whoop is here. Sure, give him the money because any player deserves it more than an owner does, but I don’t know, man.

Finesse guys with good spin rates CAN be effective, forever. Cue Wainwright, and Mikolas.

BIG17EASY · 12-09-2022, 05:02 PM

I liked Walker when he was with the Mets, but the reality is that he'll help a team get to the playoffs, but can't be relied on to win big games against good teams. He was notoriously bad against playoff-caliber teams with the Mets, but dominated against bottom feeders. You need guys like that over 162 games, but there's a reason the Mets left him off the wild card roster and weren't going to put him on the NLDS roster.

This isn't a knock on Walker so much as it is just a result of the way baseball is played these days. Teams are always going to go with guys with swing-and-miss stuff in the postseason. I know Jose Quintana started a playoff game for St. Louis this season, but I feel the same way about the Mets signing him. I'd feel better about the Mets' World Series hopes in 2023 if they brought back Bassitt or signed Senga.

Amazin69 · 12-09-2022, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

Tai Walker is a finesse guy (relative to baseball in 2022) who can give you 5 innings a night. I’m not really sure what the big whoop is here. Sure, give him the money because any player deserves it more than an owner does, but I don’t know, man.

Actually, game logs show that Walker recorded outs in the 6th inning (or later) in 11 consecutive starts in June and July. He was the most consistent Mets starter for "length". (As currently defined.)

He got bombed out twice by the Braves in August and he was pulled early in his last two starts of the season (Mets won both games, though…I guess BS was still considering him for the playoffs?), but he went 7, 7.1, and 6 innings in the three September assignments before that.

He never got to see the 9th, because that would be sacrilege (duh!), but as far as starters go, he did his bit, more often than not. JMO.

zappa1 · 12-09-2022, 07:47 PM

Walker true no big whoop. That's why he's the 4th man in the rotation. If he can go 12-5 again I'm ok with that. Also he gave the Phils problems everytime they faced him. Now they don't have to face him. And with a catcher like Realmuto, might help him along. And lastly. It's not my money. What do I care?

12-07-2022, 07:32 AM	#1
zappa1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 2,209	Taijuan Walker Taijuan Walker is now a Philly. Had a nice year with the Mets last year. 4 years, 72 million. I like what Dombrowski is doing. Took care of the infield need and went right to work on the rotation. Don't know how Walker is going to pan out but he did fine last year. Seems like he learned to keep the ball in the ballpark a bit more. He'll most likely be the 4th man in the rotation.

12-07-2022, 12:26 PM	#2
Déjà Bru Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Long Island Posts: 11,742	In OOTPB, you will recall, there is a label as to current team focus. "WIN NOW" would definitely be showing on the Philadelphia Phillies if you were setting up your 2023 MLB league based on real life. __________________ - Bru

12-08-2022, 03:37 PM	#6
Westheim Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 13,988	Has anyone seen Matt Harvey, actually? I hear the Mets need pitchers....... __________________ Portland Raccoons, 94 years of excell-.... of baseball: Furballs here! 1983 * 1989 * 1991 * 1992 * 1993 * 1995 * 1996 * 2010 * 2017 * 2018 * 2019 * 2026 * 2028 * 2035 * 2037 * 2044 * 2045 * 2046 * 2047 * 2048 * 2051 * 2054 * 2055 * 2061 * 2071 1 OSANAI : 2 POWELL : 7 NOMURA \| RAMOS : 8 REECE : 10 BROWN : 15 HALL : 27 FERNANDEZ : 28 CASAS : 31 CARMONA : 32 WEST : 39 TONER : 46 SAITO Resident Mets Cynic - The Mets from 1962 onwards, here.

12-07-2022, 08:00 PM	#3
Amazin69 Banned Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Palmetto Pride! Posts: 4,218 Infractions: 0/4 (4)	Oh goody! An entire Mets rotation (Walker, Wheels, Thor) in Philly, while the Mets play Rent-a-Grandpa at $43,000,000 @. Is Billy Eppler working for the Phillies, too? Sigh.

12-08-2022, 01:02 PM	#5
Amazin69 Banned Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Palmetto Pride! Posts: 4,218 Infractions: 0/4 (4)	The Mets could do a lot worse than Thor…and they probably will. He carried a full season's workload (the big concern after the injury) and put up a 103 ERA+ despite spending part of the year in Baker Bowl 2.0 or whatever that bandbox in Philly is called. But just because he's not putting up Ks at arm-endangering rates, people are treating him like he's Matt Harvey or whatever. Ridiculous. (Did a lot better in Anaheim than Jose Quintana did, I'm just saying. I know Eppler doesn't want to pay any attention to Angels games [out of shame, I'd assume], but the stats are right there in black and white.)

12-09-2022, 11:11 AM	#7
zappa1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 2,209	Matt Harvey signed with Baltimore on April 8th, 2022. He bounced around the minor leagues all year. From the South Atlantic League, Eastern League and International League. With Norfolk, Bowie and Aberdeen. He went a combined 8-1 with a 3.71 era. 13 games all starts. Completed 2. 70.1 innings. It seems to me he might be trying to come back from injury. Anyway November 10th 2022 he was granted free agency. He's 33 will turn 34 in March.

12-09-2022, 05:02 PM	#10
BIG17EASY Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3,291	I liked Walker when he was with the Mets, but the reality is that he'll help a team get to the playoffs, but can't be relied on to win big games against good teams. He was notoriously bad against playoff-caliber teams with the Mets, but dominated against bottom feeders. You need guys like that over 162 games, but there's a reason the Mets left him off the wild card roster and weren't going to put him on the NLDS roster. This isn't a knock on Walker so much as it is just a result of the way baseball is played these days. Teams are always going to go with guys with swing-and-miss stuff in the postseason. I know Jose Quintana started a playoff game for St. Louis this season, but I feel the same way about the Mets signing him. I'd feel better about the Mets' World Series hopes in 2023 if they brought back Bassitt or signed Senga.

12-09-2022, 07:47 PM	#12
zappa1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 2,209	Walker true no big whoop. That's why he's the 4th man in the rotation. If he can go 12-5 again I'm ok with that. Also he gave the Phils problems everytime they faced him. Now they don't have to face him. And with a catcher like Realmuto, might help him along. And lastly. It's not my money. What do I care?