Detroit Tigers: Signing Taijuan Walker is not the way to start offseason
By Tyler Kotila
The Detroit Tigers should steer clear of Taijuan Walker as a possible addition to the starting rotation for the 2021 season.
As the Detroit Tigers work through free agency, the rumors will begin about which players they should target and try to sign. The organization needs to figure out which players it will use to fill gaps in the roster.
The latest rumors circling the Tigers organization and free agency are starting pitcher Taijuan Walker. The Tigers need to avoid Walker; he is not the best player the organization can pursue, he may have upside, but other options could lead to better results.
Looking at the free-agent class, there are many other options the Tigers can consider like Chris Archer, Rick Porcello, Matt Shoemaker, and others. There are groups of cheaper options the organization can consider to get by.
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However, Walker should not be considered as one of the players the organization is going to sign. Walker was able to post an exciting 2020 campaign after two seasons of injuries.
Walker was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Toronto Blue Jays at the 2020 trade deadline. Walker made a total of 11 starts, where he totaled 53.1 innings pitched.
He managed a 4-3 record with a 2.70 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and 50 total punchouts between the two teams.
The shortened season was kind to Walker, who posted incredible stats in a bounce-back year.
Walker was originally selected in the first round of 2010 MLB First-Year Amateur Draft by the Seattle Mariners, but after four seasons with the Mariners, he would find himself on the move.
He then played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he battled injuries to get himself back onto the mound.
In 2020, as was mentioned above, he battled back and now is on the market as a free agent prior to the 2021 season. He will have to find somewhere to add depth to a rotation. While his bounce-back season in 2020 was good, the hope should be for the Tigers to pursue some of the other options available.
The Tigers can spend money on starting pitching in other cost-effective ways. Since hiring new manager A.J. Hinch, things have changed with the front office, and it seems like General Manager (GM) Al Avila is going to make some changes to the roster.
Avila is going to get into a room with his front office staff to piece together a roster for the 2021 season, and the rumors that they are targeting Walker should be tossed out. It seems like there are plenty of other options on the market that would be more beneficial to the organization.
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So for now, as offseason rumors continue to pour in, be hopeful that the Detroit Tigers steer away from Taijuan Walker for rotational depth.