Seattle Mariners: as trade rumors emerge, Taijuan Walker counts days
We are getting close to the August 31st trade deadline and it appears Seattle Mariners pitcher Taijuan Walker will be on the move before the clock runs out.
One of the most exciting times of the baseball season is almost upon us. Even in the shortened season we can experience the fun and games of the baseball trading deadline. Add one more name to the list of those being shopped as Taijuan Walker will most likely have a new home this time next week.
Walker, who began his career with the Seattle Mariners, then was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, before ultimately finding his way back to the Mariners, is about to be on the move again.
One rival evaluator about the Mariners' Taijuan Walker -- who has a 4.00 ERA in five starts, with eight walks and 25 strikeouts in 27 innings -- "He's going to be traded. No doubt."
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) August 24, 2020
Buster Olney, reporting on the advice of a rival evaluator, says Walker’s days in Seattle are numbered.
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Walker is sitting 2-2 with an earned run average at an even 4.00, is on a team friendly $2M contract and will be a free agent in 2021. The Mariners who are going nowhere in a loaded American League West Division will happily trade him for the small salary relief and anything they can get in return.
With the expanded playoff format, more teams will approach the deadline as if they are still in the race. When it comes to trading for a starting pitcher, there may not be a lot on the market. One wouldn’t think Walker would garner a lot in return, though the Mariners being one of the few teams selling pieces right now may be able to drive up the price a little based on that alone.
The 2020 season has been a tale of two Taijuan’s, though he has pitched well enough to have trade value. In his two wins this year, he has pitched seven innings, while striking out eight in each contest. He one hit the Oakland A’s in his first win of the year.
In his two losses, he has failed to get out of the fourth inning. Walker has also given up five home runs in twenty-seven innings pitched.
Next. Kikuchi bringing the heat. dark
Taijuan Walker has pitched himself into a position to be a highly sought after commodity come trade season. It will be interesting to see where he lands.