Phillies will have to wait for the best possible Taijuan Walker replacement

The Philadelphia Phillies claimed the No. 2 seed in the National League behind the dominance of their pitching staff. Zack Wheeler is going to finish second in NL Cy Young voting after an impressive All-Star campaign. Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez were both All-Stars, too. Aaron Nola won't receive any hardware, but he's one of the most dependable No. 2 aces in the sport.

It is Philadelphia's offense that tends to grab headlines. Bryce Harper is a superstar through and through, while Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Alec Bohm round out one heck of a slugging crew. But, the Phillies' not-so-secret strength all season has been the durability and proficiency of its starting rotation. There have been bumps in the road, but on balance, you'd struggle to find a better unit in the National League.

That said, there is an exception to the rule for this Phillies squad. Philadelphia's rotation is elite... except for that No. 5 slot, which has been occupied for most of the season by Taijuan Walker. The veteran, a former All-Star eating $18 million per season on the Phils cap sheet, has been catastrophically bad when healthy enough to take the mound.

Across 19 appearances (15 starts), Walker posted a 7.10 ERA and 1.72 WHIP. He has allowed more hits (107) than innings pitched (83.2) and netted only 58 strikeouts, compared to 37 walks. There isn't much of a silver lining here. Walker is burning a hole through John Middleton's wallet and he looks to be one of the MLB's worst starting pitchers. Maybe he's due for a bounce-back campaign in 2025, but Philadelphia shouldn't bank on it.

That's why the latest MLB rumors tidbit from USA Today scribe Bob Nightengale is so tantalizing for Phillies fans.

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Phillies connected to White Sox ace Garrett Crochet as offseason trade target

"White Sox starter Garrett Crochet says he’s interested in signing a long-term contract extension," writes Nightengale, "but the White Sox still fully intend to trade him this winter, with the Philadelphia Phillies among the teams expressing interest."

That's right. The Chicago White Sox "fully intend" to trade their No. 1 starter Garrett Crochet, who made waves around the trade deadline with his proclamation that he wouldn't pitch in the playoffs without a new contract. That very public sentiment clearly turned teams away in August, but it shouldn't be such a big hurdle in December or January.

Crochet ended the season strong despite Chicago's broader incompetence, finishing with a 3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP through 32 starts. The 25-year-old finished fourth in the American League in strikeouts (209) despite pitching significantly fewer innings than those ahead of him. On a per-pitch basis, there just weren't many who topped Crochet's stuff in 2024.

His availability should drum up quite the market. The White Sox won't have a shortage of eager suitors, especially with an entire season to reap the rewards of Crochet's excellence before worrying about an extension or his postseason availability. Crochet has a concerning history of injuries, but triple-digit heat and rock-solid command are difficult to ignore. It is an upside swing that most contenders would be wise to take.

Just imagine Crochet filling the gaping Taijaun Walker void in Philadelphia's rotation. The Phils would have four 2024 All-Stars and Aaron Nola as their five-man unit, with the fireballing southpaw from Chicago providing a nice change of pace after the right-handed dominance of Wheeler and Nola atop the rotation.

Philadelphia has a few high-level pitching prospects to sweeten the pot in trade talks, although a more motivated team could probably give the Phils trouble.

This isn't the first time we've heard Crochet's name connected to Philadelphia — it popped up around the trade deadline — but now, after suffering through Walker's brutal second half of the season, Philadelphia fans are probably more open to burning assets on another high-level starter, even if fixing the outfield should be Dave Dombrowski's No. 1 priority.