3 former Mets that are off to a bad start with their new teams

Former New York Mets pitcher Taijuan Walker has not lived up to his new contract.

An All-Star in 2021, Taijuan Walker was a great piece of Mets starting rotation the past two seasons. After going 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA last season, some Mets fans were hopeful that the team would resign Walker to a long term deal this offseason.

Instead, the Philadephlia Phillies swooped in and signed Walker to a mammoth 4 year, $72 million contract. Like the Mets, the Phillies were big spenders this offseason and were hopeful that Walker would shore up the back end of their rotation. The Mets not paying Walker that much money seemed like a smart decision at the time, and through two starts that still looks to be the case.

Walker has started off 2023 with a 6.00 ERA across nine innings of work, and the Phillies are 0-2 in his starts. He has yet to make it to the fifth inning in either start due to his issues with his command; across his first 41 batters faced, he has already issued 8 walks.

Unless he is able to turn this poor start around, the Mets will look like geniuses for signing Walker to that long of a contract. Not only was that money saved used on other contributors, but the rival Phillies are still on the books for $54 million owed to him after this season ends. Walker was well respected during his time in Flushing, but at the moment it looks like the Mets were right to let him walk.