The Mets have signed a pitcher.
The Mets have a deal with taijuan Walker, sources tell SNY.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) February 19, 2021
Taijuan Walker will join the team in Port St. Lucie and likely be slotted in as the team’s fourth or fifth starter.
Met fans were growing very restless as names continued to fly off the board in a dreadfully thin free agent class this winter.
Well, I think the fan base should appreciate this move. The Mets have legitimate starting pitching depth now. The names might not blow you away, but they probably won’t be pitching in Korea next year either.
Walker’s best year came in 2017 with Arizona.
In 2018, he was shutdown after 13 innings and underwent Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2019 for the final game of the season and pitched an inning.
Walker pitched for both Seattle and Toronto in 2020, compiling a 2-1 record with 1.37 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 26.1 innings pitched.
40 innings pitched since 2017? Sounds like we are getting a fresh arm. Minus the Tommy John surgery, that is.
Hey, I’ve always loved Walker’s upside, so I think this is a terrific move.
He throws a mid-90s four-seam fastball, a curveball, and changeup. He has also been working on a cutter.
So, let’s see what happens this spring. Welcome, Taijuan!
Photo Credit: Getty Images