Starting pitcher Taijuan Walker was nowhere to be seen during the Phillies’ 2023 postseason run, which ended one win short of the World Series.
The veteran right-hander compiled a 15-6 record with a 4.38 ERA in 31 starts during the regular season. Yet with Philadelphia driving toward a return to the Fall Classic, manager Rob Thomson opted not to use Walker.
That led the pitcher to drop a curious post on X (formerly Twitter), writing “Disrespect is at an all-time high.” That left fans pondering Walker’s status with the team.
Disrespect is at an all time high #nextyear
— Taijuan Walker (@tai_walker) October 25, 2023
Walker signed a four-year, $72 million contract with Philadelphia last offseason, which seemed to indicate that he would be a key piece of the starting rotation. But his performance notably declined during the season’s second half. In September, Walker posted a 5.93 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 31 innings.
That appears to have affected Thomson’s trust in the pitcher. And Walker apparently is holding a grudge, based on his liking several tweets criticizing the Phillies skipper.
Taijuan Walker is already liking tweets criticizing Rob Thompson's moves in the postseason.
— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) October 25, 2023
Sick. pic.twitter.com/LkVDFQgrJn
Other fans thought Walker’s feelings of “disrespect” may have been directed at the Diamondbacks’ postgame celebration or calling out doubters after their Game 7 victory. But Walker’s liking those tweets referencing Thomson appears to dispel that notion.
Hard feelings may settle down during the offseason. Perhaps Walker and Thomson will address this before the Phillies report to spring training.
But as teammate Nick Castellanos said after Philadelphia eliminated the Braves, “I’m learning that the season and the postseason are completely different.”
That obviously applies to how a starting pitcher could be used—or not used—during the playoffs.
