Rob Thomson won't commit to the most obvious solution for Taijuan Walker

Let's not beat around the bush. Taijuan Walker has been among the worst pitchers in baseball this season. Pound for pound, pitch for pitch, positive takeaways have been few and far between when Walker takes the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies.

He has 13 starts under his belt this season, posting a 6.26 ERA and 1.58 WHIP. He has allowed 74 hits, 28 walks, and 45 earned runs across 64.2 innings pitched. A glance at his analytics profile on Baseball Savant removes any sense of ambiguity from the equation. This isn't bad luck or a short cold spell. Walker's velocity is down, he's getting shelled hard every week, and he's just not missing bats.

The latest disappointment from Walker was a three-inning, six-run outing against the Kansas City Royals on Friday. He faced 18 batters and allowed eight hits. Nine times, a Walker pitch left the bat at 95 MPH or faster. He's getting knocked around to an absurd degree. There is quite literally no baseball justification for continuing to start Walker every fifth game.

The only reason it's still happening — and why it may continue, even after another embarrassing dud — is money. Walker is due $36 million over the next two seasons. That makes it hard to justify waiving him straight up. It's also enough to keep Walker tethered to the starting rotation, even when Tyler Phillips and other options exist.

After Friday's game, Rob Thomson refused to commit to the obvious solution — demoting Walker to the bullpen. His next scheduled start is the opener of a critical four-game series against the Atlanta Braves. Philadelphia leads the division by six games. That seems like it will end poorly...

"We haven’t talked about it yet," Thomson told reporters (h/t Anthony SanFilippo, Crossing Broad).

Rob Thomson refuses to outright admit defeat with Taijuan Walker

"It," of course, refers to this do-or-die game Walker is presently slated to start. Philadelphia has been remarkably patient with Walker so far, but the time for patience has run dry. The Phillies cannot afford to let Atlanta back into the division race. Momentum is essential down the stretch, a fact Philadelphia knows all too well.

It is encouraging, somewhat, that Thomson did not say something more to the tune of "he's fine, we trust him," when discussing Walker's next start. His comment sure makes it sound like a role change is inevitable. Walker makes far more money than even the best relievers in the sport, but Philadelphia cannot afford the alternative. Thomson is at least propping the door open for a change.

Unless Dave Dombrowski and the front office are comfortable eating $36 million in dead money by waiving Walker, he is going to finish the season in a Phils uniform. As such, it's best to limit how much the Phillies rely upon him. Let Walker eat a few low-leverage innings in relief now and again. If he looks meaningfully better in that role, great. If not, well, Philadelphia can keep him on ice in the moments that really matter.

Odds are, we won't be seeing much of Walker in the playoffs. Right now, it's a question of how much longer Thomson lets this problem stew. Trotting out Walker against the Braves this week would be the equivalent of handing Atlanta a bump in the standings.

The alternatives aren't great with Spencer Turnbull out of commission, but Philadelphia has to find a different arm for Thursday's series opener. Walker needs to be out of sight, out of mind as the Phillies battle for the NL East crown.