Chicago Cubs: Taijuan Walker auditions in hopes of landing a new deal

Taijuan Walker has barely pitched in the big leagues since 2018. It did not stop the Chicago Cubs from bringing him in for a tryout this week in Arizona.

In the wake of the Cubs officially reporting for Spring Training today, officials announced yesterday that former Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Taijuan Walker pitched in front of them in an attempt to show that he still has something left.

Walker, a recipient of Tommy John surgery, has pitched once since April of 2018. A former top overall pitching prospect for the Seattle Mariners, Walker, has found success at points in his career. Still just 27 years old, he hopes that the injuries are in the past and the future becomes the focus.

For the Cubs, they can never have too much pitching depth, especially in their starting rotation. The uncertainty at the back of the rotation, most notably the fifth spot, could give way to an opportunity for both Walker and the club as a match in 2020.

Chicago Cubs: Walker could be the perfect stopgap

During his time in Seattle, Walker did find a fair bit of success. He worked his way from rookie ball to the majors in four seasons, starting three games during his first big league stint and posting a 3.60 ERA.

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Unfortunately for Walker, this has not been the first time he has had shoulder issues. As a 21-year-old back in 2014, the Mariners shut him down at a point due to inflammation. While Walker did finish that season with a 2.61 ERA, he made only eight appearances, including five starts.

The 2015 season has been the most consistent in Walker’s career. He threw 169 2/3 innings that year across a still career-high 29 starts, pitching to a 4.56 ERA. Walker did finish with a 3.82 xFIP and a 1.8 fWAR, lowering his walks with a major league career-high 22.2 percent strikeout rate.

Between 2017 and 2018, Walker threw 170 1/3 innings, carrying a 3.49 ERA and a 20.9 percent strikeout rate.

He kept opponents to a .250 batting average and a near above-average 32.6 percent hard contact rate. In the hitter-friendly confines of Chase Field, that is decent.

Chicago Cubs: Will Theo make a move?

Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune announced the news of Walker’s session, stating the workout “went well,” however, further comments were not made per Walker and his agent, Jim Murray. Last week, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale discussed how Walker threw in front of 20 scouts, noting Walker’s fastball sat between 85-88 miles per hour.

Walker is three years younger than Chatwood and would bring a youthful exuberance with a veteran presence to an aging rotation should Theo Epstein choose to bring him into the rotation fold. While Chatwood’s fastball carries more zip, Walker does have a beautiful slider he can utilize, which would play well at Wrigley.

Mills pitched strong in his nine appearances last season, finishing with a 2.75 ERA and a 27.6 percent strikeout rate. Alzolay displayed positives as well; however, he does not have the experience at this point. If the Cubs can secure Walker on a minor league deal, I am all in on Walker. It is just a matter now of if he showed enough for Epstein to buy into the idea.