Dave Dombrowski dropped the hammer on Taijuan Walker, and he's earned it

The Philadelphia Phillies' season ended in predictably bitter disappointment. Any Philly fan foolish enough to get their hopes up about this team should know better by now. The downfall of the 2024 Phillies could be seen from miles away: the sporadically cold offense; the steep drop-off in bullpen depth after the top handful; Philadelphia's generally sluggish disposition after the All-Star break. There was no way the Mets weren't winning that series.

Now it's back to the drawing board for Dave Dombrowski, Rob Thomson and one of the most talented rosters in baseball. On paper, of course, the Phillies are contenders. This is still a team with ample postseason experience and a true big-moments star in Bryce Harper. Philadelphia's starting rotation is widely hailed as the best in the National League, with a slight exception for that No. 5 slot. The Phillies are the real deal.

And yet, it's clear that changes are necessary. More accurately, additions. Dombrowski fell asleep at the wheel at the trade deadline, deciding that Austin Hays was enough to paper over an unreliable outfield, but Philadelphia needs more pop in the back half of the lineup. Moreover, that fifth starting pitcher slot is a real problem that requires real solutions.

Taijuan Walker was supposed to be Philadelphia's No. 5 starter — he's paid more like a No. 3 starter — but he's coming off one of the worst pitching seasons in recent memory. When asked about Walker's future, Dombrowski was candid in his appraisal of the situation, and made clear that nothing is guaranteed moving forward.

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Dave Dombrowski invites future 'competition' for Taijuan Walker in Phillies rotation

According to Dombrowski, Walker has been given an extensive training and conditioning regimen meant to sharpen his arsenal ahead of next season. He will come into spring training with a chance to compete for a rotation spot, but no guarantees are made.

That is noteworthy, especially with rumors connecting Philadelphia to top trade candidates like Garrett Crochet and a red-hot Andrew Painter tearing up the Arizona Fall League. Walker will indeed have competition, to the point where it may not actually be much of a competition. Not many teams would be comfortable using their $72 million former All-Star out of the bullpen, but Philadelphia is such a team.

It's hard to overstate how bad Walker's 2024 campaign was. He was benched twice down the stretch, and only lasted as long as he did (15 starts in 19 appearances) because of how dire the Phillies' depth chart was at various points throughout the year. The season-ending injury to Spencer Turnbull left Philadelphia without an obvious alternative, especially once Tyler Phillips spontaneously combusted after a few quality starts.

Walker finished the season with a 7.10 ERA and 1.72 WHIP, netting just 58 Ks in 83.2 innings. He allowed 37 walks in that same span.

We know Walker is capable of better seasons — that 2021 All-Star campaign with the Mets preceded Philadelphia's lucrative contract offer — but at 32 years old, it feels like Walker is on a steep decline with no brake pedal. He was completely devoid of swing-and-miss stuff this season, allowing a constant stream of base-runners and seldom avoiding hard contact. A ground ball pitcher by design, Walker finished the season in the first percentile (bad) for barrel rate and the third percentile for hard-hit rate, per Baseball Savant. Not great, Bob!

Maybe he comes into camp magically better next spring (injuries were a factor this season), but odds are Walker's days as a regular starter in Philadelphia are kaput — and the sooner Dombrowski plans around that reality, the better.