Phillies latest flawed pitching addition is still miles better than Taijuan Walker

Just days after adding Jesus Luzardo to their star-studded rotation the Philadelphia Phillies made another move to address their pitching staff, signing Joe Ross to a one-year deal according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Gelb notes that Ross will likely operate as a swingman for the Phillies, working both in the rotation and in the bullpen.

This signing has its pros and cons. On one hand, Ross is coming off a solid season which saw him post a 3.77 ERA in 25 appearances (10 starts) and 74 innings pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers. Ross pitched exceptionally well as a reliever, as evidenced by his sub-2.00 ERA in that role, and had a 2.81 second-half ERA.

On the other hand, though, Ross is a pitcher Phillies fans are awfully familiar with from his six seasons with the Nationals, and while he was mostly solid when healthy, his struggles within the NL East are noteworthy. Ross has struggled mightily in particular against two of the best teams in the division the Atlanta Braves (6.51 ERA in 11 appearances, nine starts) and the New York Mets (5.45 ERA in 16 appearances, 10 starts).

For the Phillies to repeat as NL East champions, they're going to have to play well against teams like the Braves and Mets. For them to beat the Braves and Mets, Ross can't afford to get lit up.

Whether you're a Phillies fan who's excited, disappointed, or something in between with this addition, one thing everyone can agree on is that Ross is miles better than the pitcher likely most impacted by this move - Taijuan Walker.

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Phillies latest roster addition might finally seal Taijuan Walker's fate in Philadelphia

With the Phillies acquiring Luzardo, it became abundantly clear that Walker was no longer going to be part of their starting rotation, barring injury. While that was good news, Walker still presumably had the potential to be a swingman of sorts, operating as the team's long reliever and starting on occasion when needed.

Well, now that Ross has been added to be the team's swingman, what exactly is there for Walker? Again, the rotation is now filled with Luzardo entering the mix. Ross is the next man up. Perhaps Walker's time with the Phillies really has come to an end.

Ross comes with his question marks, but Walker was flat-out unusable for much of his two seasons with Philadelphia. This past season saw him post a 7.10 ERA in 19 appearances (15 starts). The 95-67 Phillies went just 6-13 when Walker took the ball, and 4-11 when he started - showing just how big of a liability he was.

Assuming Ross, even with his question marks, pitches better than that, it's a win for Philadelphia, and based on how he pitched down the stretch this past season, especially as a reliever, there's reason to believe that he's miles better than the pitcher whose spot he's likely going to take.