Sources: Phils keep spending, ink Walker, Strahm

The Philadelphia Phillies and right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker person reached statement connected a four-year, $72 cardinal contract, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan connected Tuesday.

A time aft reeling successful shortstop Trea Turner with an 11-year, $300 cardinal deal, the Phillies added to their rotation with 1 of the apical pitchers near connected the escaped cause market. And the spending didn't halt there, with Philadelphia besides finalizing a two-year, $15 cardinal pact with left-handed reliever Matt Strahm connected Tuesday, sources told Passan.

They articulation a Phillies squad that made it to the World Series this twelvemonth earlier losing to the Houston Astros.

Walker had 1 of the strongest seasons of his vocation successful 2022, erstwhile helium started 29 games for the New York Mets and posted a 3.49 ERA, 2.6 bWAR and a 1.19 WHIP successful 157 innings pitched, striking retired 132 batters portion walking 45.

The Phillies people the 5th squad of Walker's large league career, including the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays and Mets.

The 30-year-old righty served arsenic a dependable back-of-the-rotation starter for New York passim the people of the play earlier declining his $7.5 cardinal subordinate enactment for 2023, taking a $3 cardinal buyout to research escaped agency. The Mets declined to connection a qualifying connection to Walker.

Walker antecedently underwent Tommy John country successful 2018 and missed the full 2019 season. His 2022 run marked his astir palmy connected the mound since undergoing attraction connected a partial teardrop of the UCL successful his close elbow.

Walker is the 2nd pitcher to permission the Mets' rotation, aft Jacob deGrom signed with the Texas Rangers. New York subsequently responded by signing Justin Verlander to a two-year, $86 cardinal deal.

Asked astir the marketplace for Walker earlier successful the day, cause Scott Boras said it was robust. "As you tin spot successful the marketplace, there's a full fig of pitchers that are throwing 60 and 70 innings that person been pursued, astir apt with the objection of (Jacob) deGrom, astatine the little extremity of threshold astir $13-15 cardinal a twelvemonth due to the fact that the request for prime pitching is truthful great,'' Boras said.

"So, Tai ... is 1 of the younger ones, 1 of the much durable ones and we expect him to beryllium pursued greatly arsenic his marketplace unfolds.''

Walker slots into a rotation fronted by Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola.

Strahm, 31, emerged arsenic a reliable left-handed alleviation enactment for the Boston Red Sox, whom helium joined successful 2022 aft spending the erstwhile 4 seasons with the San Diego Padres. Over 44⅔ innings, helium struck retired 52, walked 17 and allowed 5 location runs portion posting a 3.83 ERA successful 50 games.

The Phillies spent astir of 2022 with lone Jose Alvarado arsenic a high-leverage left-hander successful their bullpen, though the signing of Walker could propulsion Bailey Falter determination arsenic good if helium doesn't fastener down the 5th spot successful Philadelphia's rotation. With the departure of Zach Eflin and Kyle Gibson via escaped agency, arsenic good arsenic Noah Syndergaard, Brad Hand and David Robertson reaching the unfastened market, the Phillies entered the offseason successful hunt of pitching assistance to bolster a depleted staff.

Among Turner, Walker and Strahm, the Phillies' spending spree implicit the erstwhile 30 hours totaled $387 million. Their projected payroll for 2023 is presently much than $230 cardinal -- close astatine the archetypal competitive-balance-tax threshold of $233 million.

Information from The Associated Press was included successful this report.