Phillies urged to replace struggling $72 million veteran via blockbuster trade

The Philadelphia Phillies have earned a playoff bye and a week off to rest their starters.

And they might be feeling grateful that they’ll only need a four-pitcher rotation, given how veteran Taijuan Walker has struggled this season.

Walker, who signed a four-year, $72 million contract to join the Phillies in 2022, pitched for a 7.10 ERA across 83.2 innings this season, finding himself in and out of the rotation amid his struggles. Now, he might be relegated to a limited relief role in the playoffs or he might not take the mound again this year at all.

As the Phillies look to bolster their rotation for next season, Christopher Kline of FanSided suggested the team could trade for Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet to take Walker’s spot in the rotation alongside Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez.

“Just imagine Crochet filling the gaping Taijuan Walker void in Philadelphia’s rotation,” Kline wrote. “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.”

Crochet has enjoyed a breakout season with the White Sox this year, earning an All-Star nod in his first season as a starter. And he seems to be firmly on the trade block as his current team embarks on a multi-year rebuild toward contention.

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

Crochet has two more years of arbitration eligibility ahead but his youth and the durability he showed across 32 starts with a 3.58 ERA this season could indeed make him a strong candidate for a long-term deal. A trade and then extension with Philadelphia might be in the cards, though the Phillies will likely work on their outfield offense and relief corps this offseason as well.

“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 (president of baseball operations) Dave Dombrowski’s No. 1 priority,” Kline added.

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