Thomson says Walker is competing for spot in Phillies rotation

Happy Tuesday. Today’s send discusses a Phillies acquisition that hasn’t worked out very well and an Eagles acquisition that ended in a Super Bowl.

Also, the Sixers. Sigh.

In the email today:

• ⚾ Thomson says Walker is competing for spot in Phillies rotation

• 🦅 Eagles begin the hard goodbyes with release of Big Play Slay

• ⬇️ Sixers understand assignment, get smoked by Blazers with Mike Tirico on the call

  • 📆 This Day in Philly Sports History

  • 📊 Poll

  • 🔗 Links

  • 📺 Coming Up

Reports of Taijuan Walker's death were greatly exaggerated.

Walker was alive and well on the mound in Dunedin, FL Sunday afternoon, averaging 92.9 mph on his four-seam fastball, velocity more in the range of his 2023 season (avg 92.6 mph) than his nightmarish 2024 campaign (avg 91.5 mph). Walker averaged 93.5 mph on the pitch in 2022, when he went 12-5 for the Mets with a 3.49 ERA in 157.1 innings.

"Who knows?" said Phillies manager Rob Thomson when asked about Walker's role this season. "Jobs are up for grabs. The best guy is gonna get it."

Reporters asked Thomson to clarify his thoughts, given that Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, and Jesus Luzardo are considered locks for the Phils' rotation. Andrew Painter is expected to join the major league club as a starter as well, sometime this summer. Was Thomson discussing a bullpen job?

"No, rotation," Thomson said. "I mean, if somebody else doesn’t throw well and he’s throwing great, you know? Who knows what’s going to happen? We’ve got a ways to go yet. And usually it works itself out."

Is Thomson serious? Or is he just talking up Walker’s value for a potential trade?

On one hand, the version of Walker we saw last season could absolutely be an aberration. His highest season-long ERA prior to 2024 was 4.56, all the way back in 2015. Averaging 92.9 mph--and topping out at 93.9 mph--on his four-seamer in his first start of spring could be a fantastic sign for the year to come. In his first appearance last spring, Walker averaged just 89.4 mph on the pitch.

But.

The Phillies, locked and loaded with one of the best rotations in baseball and expected to compete for a championship, are in no position to gamble on Walker starting meaningful MLB games. Just a few brutal appearances could make the difference in a highly competitive NL East.

Walker has never been particularly dominant, even in his best seasons. He made the All-Star team just once, in 2021, and ended up with a 4.47 ERA by that year's end. The Phillies owe him $36 million through 2026, making him a costly insurance policy if he's stashed in the bullpen. And the Phils signed RHP Joe Ross this offseason to operate as a long-relief/spot starter swingman, so even that role on the team is occupied.

The view from here is that Walker will be traded, with the Phillies eating a significant portion of his contract.

To his credit, Walker has the right attitude this spring. "The biggest thing for me is I can just control what I can control," Walker said after exiting Sunday's game. "Go out there and get results. Pitch the best I can pitch. And whatever happens, happens."

Maybe the only thing wrong with winning a Super Bowl (or even losing one) is the inevitable personnel changes that follow.

Even before the parade, the Eagles knew that offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was headed to New Orleans. Player personnel decisions were inevitably next, and they are now well and truly underway.

We co-sign. Slay has been an invaluable member of the Eagles in five seasons here. He made three straight Pro Bowls from 2021-2023.

Slay also quietly stabilized an Eagles secondary that was in desperate need of professional help.

Slay himself knew this was likely to happen. Per the league’s story on the transaction:

And that’s it, of course. Mitchell and DeJean played at exceptionally high levels this season, especially in the playoffs. They’re Rolls Royce talents on Kia contracts.

Slay appears to be taking it in stride, even leaving the door ajar for the possibility of a return depending on what his value is around the league.

We wouldn’t bet on Slay returning. He might not get overpaid by another team, but they’ll pay him his market value, which the Eagles probably wouldn’t even feel compelled to do given the emergence of Mitchell and DeJean.

So if this is goodbye, we hope Slay feels the gratitude of Eagles Nation as he goes. Every premium talent acquisition should end this happily.

Before we briefly detail another Sixers loss, we have to address the best part of last night’s Sixers game: The NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast.

Fans in the Center might have known before most viewers did how the broadcast might differ from the usual Kate Scott/Alaa Abdelnaby presentation.

There is a simple explanation for why national sports television megastar Mike Tirico was calling the 27-34 Blazers and the 21-38 Sixers on a Monday night in March.

Tirico was in Philadelphia quite literally tuning up his basketball broadcasting chops on a low profile NBA game in advance of NBC’s return as an NBA broadcasting partner next season.

We tried to come up with a comp for hearing Tirico calling this Sixers game on NBC Sports Philadelphia. The closest we came was being in the Ocean Drive hearing Secret Service playing “Mr. Brightside,” only to realize that it’s Brandon Flowers singing.

By now, you have probably figured out that we don’t have much to say about this game.

The following Sixers did not dress last night: Joel Embiid (obviously), Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. So it got weird.

In the middle of the third quarter, after Tyrese Maxey had left the game following an awkward fall to the floor, the Sixers had these five on the floor together: Jeff Dowtin Jr., Quentin Grimes, Justin Edwards, Guershon Yabusele and Andre Drummond.

Related: The Sixers lost the third quarter 35-20. In fairness, Drummond went for 25 points and 18 rebounds. Oh, and Edwards hobbled off late in the fourth quarter. It’s hard to imagine who will start for the Sixers in Minnesota tomorrow night.

Every Sixers loss is crucial now. Stealing a loss from a team like the Blazers — who also have plenty of incentive not to win — is the epitome of understanding the assignment.

The pure joy of hearing Tirico on the call as the Sixers did the right thing was hard to put into words, but this about says it all.

📆 This Day in Philly Sports History

On March 4, 1944, the Phillies launched a half-hearted rebranding effort. And on March 4, 1990, the world lost 23-year-old Hank Gathers.

📊 Poll

Results from Monday:

🔗 Links

• 🤠 Legendary Dallas Cowboys and Miami Hurricanes coach Jimmy Johnson, 81, announced his retirement from Fox Sports.

• 💰️Mavericks fans smarting from the ridiculous Luka Doncic trade are predictably delighted by a season-ticket price hike.

• 📺️ The Nationals and Orioles finally buried the hatchet over television rights.

• 🦅 Nick Sirianni kept receipts.

📺 Coming Up

Games before our next send.

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

• Flyers vs. Flames, 7:00 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia)

• Sixers at Timberwolves, 8:00 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia+)

Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow.

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