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

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.