LA Angels: Where to go now with Trevor Bauer reportedly out
By Nick Stevens
LA Angels: Taijuan Walker finally healthy and a financial match
Taijuan Walker was finally healthy again in 2020, throwing 53 innings with the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays last season with a 2.70 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and 50 strikeouts across 11 starts.
Walker wouldn’t slot in as the ace of the LA Angels rotation, but he is still just 28 years old and could be an option for a multi-year deal to keep him around for a few years with other young arms like Andrew Heaney, Dylan Bundy and Griffin Canning, who are all under 30 entering the 2021 season.
The Angels need more than just starting pitching to round out a potential World Series contending roster, but there’s very little wiggle room if they want to remain under the luxury tax threshold.
Taijuan Walker is projected to land a two-year deal at $16 million and if the Angels can bring him in on something close to this, it would keep their options open in adding more bullpen and outfield help while staying under the $210 million threshold.
Walker hasn’t pitched a full season since throwing 157 innings back in 2017, but he’s healthy now after seeing just 14 innings of work in 2018-19. The question is whether or not he can return to averaging nearly six innings per start again. If so, he would be a welcomed addition to the LA Angels roster and a major help to one of the league’s worst bullpens.