Game 24 - Cubs Crush Walker as Skid Hits Eight

Philadelphia Phillies	2
Chicago Cubs	7

2025 Philadelphia Phillies Photocards

Wednesday Night, April 22nd

Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL
8-16, Tied for 4th Place, 8 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  In Taijuan Walker's final appearance with the Phillies, the righty entered in the second inning and allowed five runs (four earned) in four innings of work.

What It Means:  The Phillies dropped their eighth in a row.

What Happened:  Kyle Backus served as an opener and allowed a first inning run to the Cubs before Walker entered and surrendered five more.  The Phillies enjoyed a brief offensive outburst in the second inning, momentarily taking a 2-1 lead.  Felix Reyes singled, went to second when Alec Bohm singled and came home on an Edmundo Sosa double.  Bohm scored on a Justin Crawford ground-out.  Alan Rangel soaked up the final three innings, allowing a run on three hits while striking out five.

Featured Card:  Walker's tenure with the Phillies was marred by too many disastrous outings.  He had a decent year last year, but his 9.13 ERA this season and inability to pitch a clean first inning, coupled with the looming return of Zack Wheeler, meant his time with the club had run out.  In 89 games with the Phillies, the most games he's pitched with any of his five clubs, Walker was 24-25 with a 5.12 ERA.  He would be officially released on Thursday afternoon.

Transaction:  As the bad news continued to mount, J.T. Realmuto (c) was placed on the 10-day injured list with back spasms and Garrett Stubbs (c) had his contract selected.  Max Lazar (rhp) was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room for Stubbs on the 40-man roster.

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2025 Chachi #18 Taijuan Walker

Bats:  Switch  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  245
Opening Day 2025 Age:  32

Born:  August 13, 1992, Shreveport, LA
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent with the Phillies, December 16, 2022

Contract Status:  Signed through 2026
Major League Teams:  Seattle Mariners 2013-16; Arizona Diamondbacks 2017-19; Seattle Mariners 2020; Toronto Blue Jays 2020; New York Mets 2021-22; Philadelphia Phillies 2023-25

Postseason Appearances:  Arizona Diamondbacks 2017; Philadelphia Phillies 2025

2025 Topps #351

Taijuan Walker had a bounce back season in 2025, pitching relatively well in whatever role the team needed.  Overall, he was 5-8 with a 4.08 ERA in 34 appearances, including 21 starts.  He seemingly never complained about his lack of a defined role, taking the ball whenever called upon and earning his way onto the postseason roster.  He'll be back in 2026, the final year of his four-year deal, as either the fifth starter, long man or key middle reliever.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2010 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects #BDPP39
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  2014-25
Favorite 2025 Card:  2025 Topps #351
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  15 as of 12/29/25, 3 added in 2025

TCDB Stats: 2,103 total as of 12/29/25, my 28 cards overall are ranked 61st, 1st is nkandy11 with 107

Complete Chachi Checklist

2023 Chachi New Additions #3

2023 Chachi #17

2024 Chachi #35

2025 Chachi #18

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2025 Chachi #17 Cristopher Sanchez 

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2025 Chachi #19 Jose Alvarado

Game 113 - Walker, Kepler Lead Phils Over O's

Baltimore Orioles	0
Philadelphia Phillies	5

2025 Topps #351

Tuesday Night, August 5th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
65-48, 1st Place, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Taijuan Walker pitched six scoreless innings and Max Kepler had a big day at the plate in this 5-0 win over the Orioles.

What It Means:  The Phillies will go for the series sweep this afternoon with Ranger Suarez on the mound.  The 2 1/2 game lead over the Mets in the East is the biggest lead the Phillies have held in the division since May 24th.

What Happened:  Walker did his job, allowing four hits and striking out four in his outing.  Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm and Max Lazar struck out six over the final three innings to earn the combined shutout.  Lazar entered the game much to the chagrin of the fans, who were hoping to catch the Jhoan Duran light show.  

Brandon Marsh doubled home Nick Castellanos with the Phillies' first run in the second.  Kepler, mired in a bad slump, then connected for a two-run home run.  Kepler doubled to lead off the fourth and scored on Bryson Stott's triple.  In the bottom of the eighth, with Duran warming up, Marsh hit a solo home run to give the Phillies a 5-0 lead, and sending Duran back to the bullpen bench.

Featured Card:  Here's Walker's card from Topps Series Two.

Field Report:  Jenna and I attended this game, making it our fourth Phillies game in five days.  Opting for a leisurely dinner at Pass and Stow, we then comfortably enjoyed the rest of the game from the Kona Big Wave Bar.  It was a milestone game for me, as it was the 200th game I logged in the Ballpark App, which I believe started accurately tracking game attendance back in 2015.  According to the App, I've seen 29 different teams and visited 10 ballparks in a 10-year span, with the Yankees being the one team I've not seen live in the past decade.  My record when attending Phillies games since 2015 is now 109-79.

Transaction:  Joe Ross (rhp) was activated from the injured list and Seth Johnson (rhp) was optioned to Lehigh Valley.

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Game 36 - Sanchez, Walker Shut Down Rays

Philadelphia Phillies	7
Tampa Bay Rays	0

2025 Topps
Philadelphia Phillies #PHI-17

Wednesday Night, May 7th

George M. Steinbrenner Field - Tampa, FL
21-15, 2nd Place, 2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Cristopher Sanchez and Taijuan Walker combined to shutout the Rays, holding their offense to two singles in this 7-0 win.

What It Means:  The Phillies go for the series sweep tonight behind Jesus Luzardo.

What Happened:  Sanchez (six innings) and Walker (three innings) each allowed a hit while striking out five and seven batters, respectively.  The Phillies scored the only run they needed when Trea Turner launched a solo home run in the third.  A five-run fourth inning put the game out of reach, highlighted by a suicide squeeze bunt from Johan Rojas to score J.T. Realmuto and a two-run double from Bryce Harper. 

Featured Card:  Sanchez pitched more innings, but Walker was a tad more dominant with his seven strikeout performance in just three innings of work.  He earned his first career save for his effort.  This is a preview of what his Topps flagship set card could look like once Series Two is released, from the retail team set.

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Game 6 - Walker Shuts Down Rockies, Phils Sweep

Colorado Rockies	1
Philadelphia Phillies	3

2024 Topps Heritage #384

Game 6

Thursday Afternoon, April 3rd

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
5-1, 1st Place, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Marlins

One Sentence Summary:  Taijuan Walker threw one of the best games of his Phillies career, and Jose Alvarado wriggled out of his own trouble in the ninth as the Phillies won the game, 3-1, sweeping the series against the Rockies.

What It Means:  Now comes the real test as the undefeated Dodgers come to town for a three-game weekend series.

What Happened:  Walker tossed six shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out four before handing it over to the bullpen.  Alvarado allowed a run on three hits and a walk in the ninth but ended up striking out the side for his first save of the season.  Bryce Harper doubled home Kyle Schwarber in the fifth for the game's first run.  Schwarber hit his fourth home run in the seventh, and J.T. Realmuto scored on a wild pitch in the eighth to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead.

Featured Card:  Good for Walker.  He certainly seems like a good guy, and his tenure this far in Philly has been less than stellar.  He'll likely get at least a few more starts before Ranger Suarez's back is healthy enough for his return.  This is his 1975 Topps inspired card from last year's Topps Heritage set.

Field Report:  Jenna and I opted to skip the second half of our work days to attend our first game of the 2025 season.  As has been tradition in recent years for our first trip to the ballpark of the season, we spent a lot of the game leisurely walking the concourse, taking in the sights, sounds, food and drink.  I signed us up for the Phillies Club 215 (the teen club . . . shhh) so that I could again reap a few Phillies goodies and collect the only team-issued baseball card set now being produced by the club.  After that, we enjoyed lunch at Pass and Stow, perused the team store and found a pair of comfortable Adirondack chairs by the Kona Big Wave Bar where we watched/listened the game.  We'll actually make it to our seats next time.

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Spring Training Game 14 - Walker Impresses, Bohm Homers in Win

Toronto Blue Jays	4
Philadelphia Phillies	5

2024 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club

Spring Training Game 14

Saturday Afternoon, March 8

BayCare Ballpark - Clearwater, FL

Record - 5-8-1

One Sentence Summary:  Taijuan Walker looked solid in his start and Alec Bohm doubled and homered in this 5-4 win over the Blue Jays.

What It Means:  With clocks springing ahead this morning, and a spring-like vibe in the air right now, we're getting closer to meaningful baseball games.

What Happened:  Walker, seemingly a pitcher without a spot on the roster, pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing a solo home run, four hits overall and striking out three.  Nabil Crasmitt gave up a pair of Blue Jays runs before getting the final out of the game and recording a save.

The Phillies scored all their runs early.  Alec Bohm led off the second with a ground-rule double to deep center, followed by a single from Max Kepler.  Three straight RBI singles followed from J.T. Realmuto, Bryson Stott and Kyle Schwarber to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead.  Bohm led off the third with a solo home run, his third of the spring.  Brandon Marsh singled later in the inning to score Max Kepler, who had reached on a walk, giving the Phillies a 5-0 lead.

Featured Card:  Walker really didn't give me many opportunities to feature any of his cards last season.  Here's his card from the ballpark-exclusive Kids Club set, and I hope the Phillies produce these cards again in 2025.

Camp Head Count:  61 - 4 = 57

Prior to the game, Jean Cabrera (rhp) and Moises Chace (rhp) were optioned to Reading and Griff McGarry (rhp) was reassigned to minor league camp.  Following the game, Max Lazar (rhp) was optioned to Lehigh Valley.

2024 Chachi #35 Taijuan Walker

#99 / Taijuan Emmanuel Walker / Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  235
Opening Day Age:  31

Born:  August 13, 1992, Shreveport, LA
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent with the Phillies, December 16, 2022

Contract Status:  Signed through 2026
Major League Teams:  Seattle Mariners 2013-16; Arizona Diamondbacks 2017-19; Seattle Mariners 2020; Toronto Blue Jays 2020; New York Mets 2021-22; Philadelphia Phillies 2023-24

Postseason Appearances:  Arizona Diamondbacks 2017

2024 Topps #643

Taijuan Walker had an absolutely nightmarish season, pitching to a 3-7 record and a 7.10 ERA in 19 appearances, including 15 starts.  In 83 2/3 innings, Walker struck out 58, walked 37 and allowed 24 home runs.  It was an historically bad season, and I'm honestly not sure where or how he factors into the team's 2025 (or 2026!) plans.  He's the fourth player to wear #99 for the team, joining Mitch Williams (1993), Turk Wendell (2001) and So Taguchi (2008).

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2010 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects #BDPP39
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (11):  2014-24
Favorite 2024 Card:  2024 Topps #643
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  13 as of 12/22/24, 6 added in 2024

Complete Chachi Checklist

2023 Chachi New Additions #3

2023 Chachi #17

2024 Chachi #35

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2024 Chachi #34 Kody Clemens / 2024 Chachi #36 Jose Ruiz

Game 133 - Arrighetti and Meatballs on the Menu

2024 Topps #643

Astros 10, Phillies 0
Game 133 - Wednesday Afternoon, August 28th in Philadelphia
Record - 78-55, 1st Place, 5 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  In an absolute drubbing, Taijuan Walker suffered through his latest poor start as Astros' starter Spencer Arrighetti nearly no-hit the Phillies in this 10-0 loss.

What It Means:  Flush it.  The Phillies took two out of three from the Astros and the Braves are coming to town next for a huge four-game series beginning on Thursday night.

What Happened:  Walker allowed six runs on 13 hits, including one of three home runs surrendered to Yordan Alvarez on the day.  Michael Mercado lasted 1 1/3 innings, allowing three more home runs, including two more to Alvarez.  Max Lazar and infielder-outfielder Weston Wilson pitched the final, scoreless 1 2/3 innings.  The Phillies' offense had three singles, with Austin Hays breaking up the no-hitter with a lead-off infield single in the eighth.

Featured Card:  I have to imagine it's the end of the road for Walker in the starting pitching rotation, and he's either demoted to the bullpen or DFA'd.  He has a 6.50 ERA in 14 starts and 70 2/3 innings pitched.

Transaction:  Wilson (inf-of) was activated from the paternity list and Buddy Kennedy (inf) was sent back to Lehigh Valley without seeing any action in a game.

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Game 60 - Phils Fall on Lou Gehrig Night #StrikeOutALS

2024 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Cardinals 5, Phillies 4 (10 Innings)
Game 60 - Sunday Night, June 2nd in Philadelphia
Record - 41-19, 1st Place, 6 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies came up short against the Cardinals on Lou Gehrig Night, losing in extra innings, 5-4.

What It Means:  They took two out of three from the Cardinals with Rhys Hoskins and the Brewers coming to town on Monday for a three-game series.  The London series and two games against the Mets is coming up next.

What Happened:  Taijuan Walker gave up two, two-run home runs in his five innings of work, and the bullpen slammed the door from there until Gregory Soto surrendered the winning run in the 10th.  With the Cardinals holding a 4-2 lead in the fifth, Bryson Stott singled home Garrett Stubbs and Johan Rojas to tie the score.  The offense had their opportunities throughout the game, but went 3 for 17 with runners in scoring position.

Brandon Marsh left the game in the eighth with a hamstring injury.  The Phillies are starting to show a little wear and tear with Edmundo Sosa and Kody Clemens dealing with minor ailments, and now Marsh, along with Ranger Suarez, possibly heading for IL stints.

Field Report/Featured Card:  I've been very involved with ALS United Mid-Atlantic for many years, and our family celebrated patients, caregivers and ALS family members at the ballpark last night in the Bill Giles Suite.  It was once again a great night for the cause with a moving pregame ceremony and $750,004 raised to help fund caregiving and research.

The Phillies sold grab bags with all proceeds going to help fight ALS, with each grab bag containing an autographed item (a hat or baseballs in our case) and a new 2024 photo card used as an identifier.  We came away with autographed hats from Walker and Cristopher Sanchez, and autographed baseballs from Jeff Hoffman and Rodolfo Castro.  Walker's card is shown here.  I'd love to add more of these cards to my collection if you purchased a grab bag and aren't sure what do with the card.  I've said this many times on this blog, but I really wish the Phillies would go back to selling these photo cards in team set form, something they've not done since the 2022 season, after skipping 2020 and 2021.

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Game 75 - Taijuan, Timely Hits Hold Off Mets

2023 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards #99

Phillies 5, Mets 1
Game 75 - Friday Night, June 23rd in Philadelphia
Record - 39-36, 3rd Place, 9 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Taijuan Walker and a few timely hits from the Phillies offense led to this 5-1 win over the Mets.

What It Means:  After figuring out Apple TV, I actually found this game to be enjoyable.  The coolest feature of Apple TV is the ability to switch audio feeds.  We moved over to the Scott Franzke/Larry Andersen radio call of the game in the first inning and never looked back.

What Happened:  Walker pitched six innings, giving up three hits and a solo home run on his way to his eighth win.  Per a Tweet from the Phillies Notes account, the Phillies are 14-4 since June 3rd with the starting staff in that span having a 1.61 ERA.  That's the lowest ERA by Phillies starting pitchers over an 18-game span since May to June 1964.  The hits weren't big from the offense, but they were timely.  Bryce Harper had an RBI single in the first, followed by a Bryson Stott sacrifice fly.  Brandon Marsh brought home another run when his pop up dropped between Mets fielders Tommy Pham and Francisco Lindor.  Trea Turner capped the night with a two-run single following the Mets miscue on Marsh's ball.

Featured Card:  With the posting of this card, I've exhausted my supply of Walker Phillies cards.  Hopefully more are on the way.  This is Walker's team-issued photo card which could be hard to track down this year as it was created solely for use in grab bags and on the off chance Walker needs something for an autograph signing.

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Game 70 - Walker, Homers Down A's in Oakland

2023 Topps Phillies #PHI-11

Phillies 6, Athletics 1
Game 70 - Late Friday Night, June 16th in Oakland
Record - 36-34, 3rd Place, 8 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Taijuan Walker was solid through eight innings, while Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm all homered in this 6-1 win over the A's.

What It Means:  This series feels a little like the late September series in 2004 when the Phillies visited the Expos in Montreal.  The Expos moved to Washington following the season, and those games had a weird end of an era vibe.  The Phillies have played the Athletics a lot less over the years than they did the Expos, but the next time these two face off, the Athletics, or whatever they'll be called, will likely call Las Vegas their home.

What Happened:  Schwarber launched the very first pitch of the game for a home run, his 19th of the season.  Realmuto added a solo shot in the second and Alec Bohm hit a two-run home run in the fourth.  A few more runs scored in the ninth, highlighted by an RBI single from Bohm.  Walker was in control on the mound, allowing seven hits while striking out eight.  Andrew Vasquez pitched a perfect ninth to wrap up the win.

Featured Card:  This is Walker's first official Phillies baseball card, from the Topps team retail set.  He's since also appeared with the Phillies in the Topps Heritage set, which uses the exact same Photoshopped picture.

Transaction:  Cristian Pache (of) was activated from the Injured List and Dalton Guthrie (of) was optioned down the IronPigs.  Pache made a nice diving catch in this game.

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Game 61 - Schwarber's Bomb Enough for Walker in Win

Phillies 1, Tigers 0
Game 61 - Tuesday Night, June 7th in Philadelphia
Record - 29-32, 4th Place, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Kyle Schwarber hit a lead-off home run and Taijuan Walker threw seven solid innings in this 1-0 win over the Tigers.

What It Means:  They'll go for a series sweep tonight behind Zack Wheeler.  The last time the Phillies won a 1-0 ballgame on a lead-off home run was back on August 14, 2012 against the Marlins.  Jimmy Rollins hit his 14th home run of the season off Marlins' starter Josh Johnson.  Kyle Kendrick pitched seven scoreless innings with Josh Lindblom earning a hold, and Jonathan Papelbon recording his 26th save.

What Happened:  Pretty much summed up with the one sentence above.  Schwarber hit his third home run of June off pitcher Tyler Alexander, the first of four relievers used in this Tigers' bullpen game.  Walker allowed two hits and three walks in his outing, escaping a bases loaded jam in the fifth.  Seranthony Dominguez and Craig Kimbrel pitched the final two innings, striking out five batters.  Kimbrel recorded his ninth save.

Featured Card:  Walker now has two mainstream Phillies baseball cards, both photoshopping him out of a Mets uniform and into a Phillies uniform.  This is his card from the recently released Topps Heritage set, and he can also be found in the Topps Phillies retail team set.

Field Report:  Jenna and I witnessed this speedy game from our seats in Section 315.  It was a breezy night, and the haze from the ongoing Canadian wild fires gave the ballpark an eerie backdrop.  With a game time of 2:07, we were home shortly after 9pm, most likely a new personal record for us!

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2023 Chachi #17 Taijuan Walker

#99

Taijuan Emmanuel Walker
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  235
Opening Day Age:  30

Born:  August 13, 1992, Shreveport, LA
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent with the Phillies, December 16, 2022

Contract Status:  Signed through 2026
Major League Teams:  Seattle Mariners 2013-2016; Arizona Diamondbacks 2017-2019; Seattle Mariners 2020; Toronto Blue Jays 2020; New York Mets 2021-2022; Philadelphia Phillies 2023

Taijuan Walker joined the Phillies starting pitching rotation in December, signing a four-year contract that will take him through the 2026 season.  He's a veteran of 10 big league seasons, having spent the most time pitching for the Mariners, beginning in 2013.  Walker was an 11 game winner with the Mariners in 2015, and a 12 game winner with the Mets last season - his best season to date statistically.  An All-Star in 2021, Walker was 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA in 157 1/3 innings pitched in 2022 for the Mets.

He's the fourth player to wear #99 for the team, joining Mitch Williams (1993), Turk Wendell (2001) and So Taguchi (2008).

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2010 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects #BDPP39
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9):  2014-2022
Newest Card Added to My Phillies Collection:  2023 Topps Phillies #PHI-11
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  2 as of 5/17/23.

Complete Chachi Checklist

2023 Chachi New Additions #3

2023 Chachi #17

2023 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2023 Season Summary Index / 2023 Chachi Set Checklist

2023 Chachi #16 Bailey Falter / 2023 Chachi #18 Matt Strahm

Game 14 - Walker Wins First with Phils

2023 Topps Now
World Baseball Classic #WBC-45

Phillies 8, Reds 3
Game 14 - Friday Night, April 14th in Cincinnati
Record - 5-9, 4th Place, 5 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Taijuan Walker won his first game with the Phillies, throwing six strong innings in this 8-3 victory.

What It Means:  For one night at least, the Phillies looked good all the way around and won easily.  I'm hoping for a few more of these no-doubt-about it wins in the coming weeks.

What Happened:  Walker allowed four hits and a run in his outing while striking out four.  Seranthony Dominguez continued his early season struggles, allowing a run in the seventh, but Jose Alvarado struck out the side in the eighth, making it look easy.  The offense collected hits when it needed them.  Early scoring came on an RBI double from Kyle Schwarber in the first and a solo home run from Edmundo Sosa in the second.  Nick Castellanos doubled home Schwarber in the third, with Brandon Marsh tripling home Castellanos shortly thereafter.  Marsh would come home on a J.T. Realmuto sacrifice fly, making it 5-0.  Three more runs crossed the plate in the ninth on a Realmuto double and a two-run single from Alec Bohm.

Featured Card:  We're still waiting for a Phillies baseball card for Walker, and this is his only baseball card to date from 2023.  Walker pitched for Mexico against Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic in March, striking out eight batters over four innings.  The print run for this card was only 317, making it fairly rare.

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Spring Training Game 26 - Walker Returns from WBC; Rays Win

2022 Topps Heritage #126

Rays 6, Phillies 2
Spring Training Game 26 - Wednesday Afternoon, March 22nd in St. Petersburg
Record - 12-13-1

One Sentence Summary:  Taijuan Walker, returning from the World Baseball Classic, was hit hard in his start as the Phillies lost to the Rays, 6-2.

What It Means:  There are six more spring training games remaining.

What Happened:  Nothing to be too concerned with where Walker is concerned.  He pitched into the fifth inning, and his final line shows 6 runs on 8 hits and a pair of walks.  Walker struck out five.  Andrew Vasquez pitched the final two scoreless innings, striking out three.  The Phillies offense was relatively quiet with Kody Clemens driving in both runs with a two-run single in the sixth.  Clemens and Scott Kingery also had doubles.

Featured Card:  We need to wait a little bit longer for Walker's first Phillies baseball card, but here's his most recently available mainstream card from last year's Topps Heritage set.

Camp Head Count:  50

The Phillies have taken a different approach to trimming the roster in 2023, with very few actual roster moves through the first month-plus of spring training.  In prior years, by this point in the exhibition season, we'd be down to the 30s with the camp head count.

Phillies Officially Add Walker, Strahm; Eflin Signs with Rays

2023 Chachi New Additions #3

2023 Chachi New Additions #2

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #8

On Friday morning, the Phillies officially announced the signing of Taijuan Walker (rhp) to a four-year contract, seemingly setting the top of their 2023 starting pitching rotation.  Walker will join Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suarez, with the fifth spot to be taken by some combination of Bailey Falter, Andrew Painter, Cristopher Sanchez or other options as the season progresses.  I didn't realize how much of a veteran Walker was, as the 30-year-old came up with the Mariners in 2013.  He was an All-Star with the Mets in 2021, and was 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA last season in 29 starts.  Walker has appeared in a number of Topps flagship sets since 2014.

Matt Strahm (lhp) signed with the Phillies on December 9th, giving the Phillies two strong lefty relievers in Stram and Jose Alvarez, out of the bullpen.  Strahm appeared in 50 games last year for the Red Sox, striking out 52 and walking 17 in 44 2/3 innings.  His deal with the club is for two years, and a short-haired Strahm first appeared in a Topps set in 2017 with the Royals.

Officially moving on from the Phillies is Zach Eflin (rhp) who signed a three-year $40 million contract with the Rays on Tuesday.  The Phillies acquired Eflin from the Dodgers in December 2014 as part of the Jimmy Rollins trade, and he pitched in parts of seven seasons with the club.  In 127 games, including 115 stars, Eflin was 36-45 with a 4.49 ERA with 552 strikeouts over 659 1/3 innings pitched.  He became a surprise closer option during the 2022 postseason, appearing in 10 games and recording a key save in the clinching Wild Card Series against the Cardinals.  He'll be missed by The Phillies Room, and I hope he spends the next three years injury-free.

Also officially moving on are Johan Camargo (inf), who signed a minor-league deal with the Twins and Chris Devenski (rhp), who signed a minor league deal with the Angels.  Kyle Gibson (rhp) landed with the Orioles on a one-year deal.  Gibson appeared in 43 games overall for the Phillies between 2021 and 2022, going 14-14 with a 5.06 ERA.  He pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in the 2022 postseason.  Finally, the Phillies will be seeing a lot of David Robertson (rhp) who signed with the Mets.  In his return to the Phillies, Robertson appeared in 22 games and recorded the team's only save in the World Series.

Departures - 2022-2023 Offseason

• Johan Camargo - inf (10/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Minnesota Twins, 11/27/22.
• Michael Kelly - rhp (10/14/22) - Elected free agency.
• Chris Devenski - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Angels, 11/28/22.
• Kyle Gibson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Baltimore Orioles, 12/5/22.
• Brad Hand - lhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
• Corey Knebel - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
• David Robertson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the New York Mets, 12/9/22.
• Noah Syndergaard - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
• Zach Eflin - rhp (11/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, 12/13/22.
• Jean Segura - 2b (11/7/22) - Elected free agency.
• Mark Appel - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Jorge Bonifacio - of (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Nick Duron - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Yairo Munoz - inf (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Bubby Rossman - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.

New Additions - 2022-2023 Offseason

• Luis Ortiz - rhp (11/9/22) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
• Andrew Vasquez - rhp (11/9/22) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
• Jake Cave - of (12/2/22) - Claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
• Noah Song - rhp (12/7/22) - Selected from the Boston Red Sox in the annual rule 5 draft.
• Trea Turner - ss (12/8/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Matt Strahm - lhp (12/9/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Boston Red Sox.
• Taijuan Walker - rhp (12/16/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Mets.