Chicago Cubs: 3 offseason trades to bolster the starting rotation

Chicago Cubs: 3 offseason trades to help the starting rotation – #2: Taijuan Walker

Looking ahead as we continue this list, we land on New York Mets starter Taijuan Walker. Set to make $7 million for 2022, Walker also has a player option for 2023 before becoming a free agent the following year. Walker had a dominant first half, posting a 2.86 ERA, 3.06 FIP and 25 percent strikeout rate and a .205 opponent batting average.

In the second half so far, he has since slipped by the means of posting a 6.81 FIP in 39 1/3 frames and a batting average allowed of .258. Whatever Walker was doing in the start of the year, he needs to get back to it. The Mets rotation was above average early in the year and, along with now-injured ace Jacob deGrom, Walker was a huge part of that success.

Due to his recent fall, his ERA is now 3.85 which is still better than any of Chicago’s current starters. It will be interesting to see what the Mets do with their rotation moving forward with Noah Syndergaard also scheduled for free agency this offseason. If Steve Cohen blows it all up, the Cubs could be the perfect suitor after just working with them at the deadline.