Phillies Mailbag: Walker, Kennedy, a Smyly Reunion?

We are back once again with the 97.3 ESPN Phillies Mailbag.  Each week we take your questions and answer them on The Sports Bash with Mike Gill.  Tune in Tuesday afternoons to hear your questions answered on the air.

Why won't the Phillies just DFA Taijuan Walker? Complete bust as a free agent signing and every time he pitches this team loses. Why keep trotting him out there every four days?
~Greg

In 1985, Coca-Cola introduced New Coke.  The company spent millions of dollars to promote it.  But it was an absolute bust.   Despite having $30 million in concentrate left to make New Coke, the company pulled the plug on the new formula and re-introduced the old as Coca-Cola Classic.

In the business world - they refer to this as a "sunk cost".  The money is spent.  But the path forward is not going to be better.  So the time comes to eat the money and just move forward.

Taijuan Walker may be getting close to that point.  He was indeed a big investment by the Phillies.  He is due $36 million combined the next two seasons, while earning $18 million this season.

Early last season, Walker carried the Phillies when Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola were struggling.  But he has not been the same.  After taking a good amount of time to rehab his ailing finger, which kept him from throwing his splitter, his velocity remains down.

The Phillies have lost his last eight starts.

Will he get it back?  Is what we have seen the first couple of starts back enough to determine whether or not it will return?

I think the Phillies could move Walker to the bullpen and perhaps lighten the workload and see if the velocity could come back.  Sometimes a shorter appearance has done wonders for some starters working to improve velocity.

It is asking a lot to get a team to eat $36 million the next two seasons.  I don't think it's out of the question that they eventually do that.  But if I was making the decision, I would go bullpen for the rest of the year if nothing looks better the next start.  Then, Spring Training could determine if he is able to get that back.

After that, and if there are other options?  Anything is fair game.

Buddy Kennedy has been hot lately, will he stay when Weston Wilson comes back? Does this mean Taijuan Walker is pitching this week?
~@ZippyDaPizzaDog

We have established that yes, Taijuan Walker is pitching on Wednesday.  I believe that this actually has something to do with your question.   Buddy Kennedy could stay - but I think that the roster situation means he will not.

Max Lazar was recalled the same time that Jose Alvarado departed for a personal leave and that Kolby Allard was optioned to Triple-A.   But Lazar's roster spot is tied to Weston Wilson's paternity leave.  The reason is that Lazar, as a pitcher optioned to the minor leagues less than 15 days ago, cannot be recalled for 15 days under normal circumstances.

Had Allard or Alvarado been injured, they could have replaced him with someone optioned within the last 15 days.  The paternity leave grants an exception to the 15-day rule.

So, Lazar will have to depart when Wilson is ready.   One reason that Walker might have started on Wednesday is so the Phillies have Lazar in the bullpen.  I am wondering if the Phillies plan to have a short leash on Walker on Wednesday.

Then, the Phillies can bring in a fresh arm on Wednesday.

There was a report from Matt Gelb of The Athletic that Dylan Covey had been placed on outright waivers.  That could knock him out of contention.  But the Phillies could add a fresh arm after the Walker start.  Who?  That remains to be seen as a few are in the 15-day window.

Those with MLB experience include Kyle Tyler, Freddy Tarnok, and Michael Rucker, who are on the 40-man roster.  Also on the 40-man as well is newly-acquired Seth Johnson, acquired in the Gregory Soto trade.

Yunior Marte will be eligible for a recall by then, too.

So with the potential for the bullpen to be unloaded on Wednesday, the Phillies probably need to return Kennedy to Triple-A.  Kennedy would need to occupy a roster spot of a pitcher, and I don't think they'll be able to do that.

Would you take a shot on Drew Smyly?
~Dave

The Chicago Cubs have been clearing some roster space of late. First, Hector Neris was played on waivers, but ultimately was released.   Now it is former Phillies pitcher Drew Smyly, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported.  A claiming team can assume Smyly's contract.

Smyly is earning $9.5 million this season, and his contract has an option for $10 million for next season.  There is a $2.5 million buyout.   Is Smyly worth $10 million next season?  Or, is he worth the balance of the $9.5 million (just north of $1.5 million) plus the $2 million buyout?

The $4 million for the rest of the season might be steep for a claim.

Should Smyly be released - and the Cubs may simply hold on to him for the rest of the year if he clears waivers - then I might be interested if I were the Phillies.  With Jose Alvarado on the restricted list for a personal matter, an extra left-handed arm would not hurt.

Smyly has worked exclusively as a reliever in 2024 and has a 2.78 earned run average in 39 games and 50 2/3 innings. He has a 1.184 WHIP.

But the Cubs have no need to release Smyly.  They might just be looking to see if another team will take his salary off their hands.  It's a longshot, but who knows: someone could be desperate.