When should Taijuan Walker be called up?

[seahawksfan234]

I posted this thread because I have to imagine this must be a looming question for the Mariners.

For those who are unaware, here is what Taijuan Walker has done this year:
AA: 2.46 ERA 14 starts 84 IP 96 SO
AAA: 0.86 ERA 4 starts 21 IP 21 SO

In 21 innings at AAA Tacoma, Walker has given up 2 earned runs. He is absolutely tearing it up down there right now.

Could we see Walker in a Mariners uniform this year? Should we see him in a Mariners uniform this year?

Typically teams like to shut their younger arms down early in the season so despite his performance at AAA I have to wonder if the Mariners may just wait until next year to bring him up.

What do you all think?

 

[dude82]

Someone said he's on an innings limit (which makes sense in the current baseball climate) and if that's true, he must be coming close to it at this point. If that's the case, I doubt we see him in Seattle this year and that's fine with me. People are so excited for this kid that bringing him up here now, only to shut him down soon after, would just be a tease. Let him finish the season in Tacoma and see if he can make the team out of Spring Training next year. He doesn't need to be rushed up here.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Not sure there is a reason to bring him up just yet. If Harang bombed last night there may have been more then a reason. I am also unsure if the club views him as the next option at this point. He does have an innings limit so I would rather just wait and see if he can win a spot in the spring.

 

[Baseballnut77]

without a doubt next year and not before

 

[seattlefan75]

I wouldnt support the move to bring him up, at age 20 we shouldnt try and rush him to the majors. I would first like to see Danny Hultzen get the call this season before walker. If walker is pitching well we shouldnt keep promoting him until he gets stuffed on the mound. if he is flourishing at AAA then let him keep doing his thing and next season have him compete in Spring Training for a starting role in the rotation

 

[Podunkparte]

I agree with everything said. Next season at the earliest.

 

[johnfree63]

I have to disagree with almost all of you guys. The way I look at it, either call him up or shut him down soon. I don't want Walker getting hurt pitching meaningless games in AAA. Just look at whats going on with Hultzen. Who knows when he'll be back and if he'll be the same at this point.

 

[Podunkparte]

I have to disagree with almost all of you guys. The way I look at it, either call him up or shut him down soon. I don't want Walker getting hurt pitching meaningless games in AAA. Just look at whats going on with Hultzen. Who knows when he'll be back and if he'll be the same at this point.

Well he is on an innings limit so he probably will be shut down soon

 

[cezero]

He shouldn't this year.

He'll be competing for a rotation spot next Spring if he stays anywhere near this good in Tacoma the rest of the year...or until he meets his innings limit, whichever comes first.

No need to rush.

 

[dude82]

I have to disagree with almost all of you guys. The way I look at it, either call him up or shut him down soon. I don't want Walker getting hurt pitching meaningless games in AAA. Just look at whats going on with Hultzen. Who knows when he'll be back and if he'll be the same at this point.

If he's got an innings limit, and I'm sure he does, he has to be getting close to it. That being said, they shouldn't base what they do with Walker on what's happening with Hultzen. They shouldn't be scared into shutting Walker down earlier than they already planned to just because Hultzen is hurt. They have to proceed with their plan for Walker unless he, himself, shows signs of fatigue or injury before his scheduled shutdown time.

At the same time, I don't believe that they should call him up just so that, if he does get hurt, he doesn't do it playing in "meaningless" AAA games. They should call him up when he's ready to come up and not out of some unfounded fear that he'll get hurt playing in the minors before he gets a chance to play here. If you're that afraid of him getting hurt before he has a chance to come up to the majors, just shut him down altogether. He doesn't need to be pitching anywhere if it's that much of a concern.

 

[unlvmariners]

I do not think Walker should be called up this season.

The only reasons I would call him up this year is if the Mariners where in the playoff race and Walkers addition improved the rotation. Problem is Mariners are fairly far away from the playoff race right now and Walker might be on a inning count.

 

[wazzu31]

I truly wouldn't mind him getting the call this year depending on how the rotation looks after the deadline. They can still baby his innings in the majors by having him take the place of a bench player. The M's will be going with the young guys the rest of the year so it's not like he would take up a spot.

Along with my opinion that the innings limit after middle school is a complete joke.

 

[Logicallylethal]

I'm all for bringing up guys like Brad Miller, Nick Franklin and Mike Zunino up...but I think with our young arms...especially one like Taijuan who throws so hard...might be a good idea to ease him in...let him build up his arm a bit before we rush him to the big leagues

 

[wazzu31]

I'm all for bringing up guys like Brad Miller, Nick Franklin and Mike Zunino up...but I think with our young arms...especially one like Taijuan who throws so hard...might be a good idea to ease him in...let him build up his arm a bit before we rush him to the big leagues[/QUOTE]

But why? There is zero evidence that having a younger pitcher throw more than those innings limits MLB personel puts on people. Mark Prior was the definition of a pitcher with perfect mechanics and he still blew his arm out well before his "innings limit" I'm not saying throw him 250 innings and wear his arm out like Fernando but damn, 180 innings has become the max for pitchers under 24 for some reason.

 

[Destroydacre]

I have to disagree with almost all of you guys. The way I look at it, either call him up or shut him down soon. I don't want Walker getting hurt pitching meaningless games in AAA. Just look at whats going on with Hultzen. Who knows when he'll be back and if he'll be the same at this point.

I'm in the same boat. If a pitcher is ready for the big leagues (and it sure as hell is looking like Taijuan is ready), then he should be throwing his pitches in the big leagues. He's only got so many pitches in his arm, no sense in wasting them in the minors.

 

[cezero]

I'm in the same boat. If a pitcher is ready for the big leagues (and it sure as hell is looking like Taijuan is ready), then he should be throwing his pitches in the big leagues. He's only got so many pitches in his arm, no sense in wasting them in the minors.

Jack Z, Wedge, and the Rainiers crew would all be officially incompetent for thinking somebody is ready for the majors after pitching less than 30 innings at AAA.

There is no way they're that stupid.

I hope.

 

[dude82]

I'm in the same boat. If a pitcher is ready for the big leagues (and it sure as hell is looking like Taijuan is ready), then he should be throwing his pitches in the big leagues. He's only got so many pitches in his arm, no sense in wasting them in the minors.

There is a difference, though, between what we think of as "ready" and what baseball scouts, coaches and execs think of as "ready". We see his stats in four starts in Tacoma and we say he's ready, but there's always more to it than just stats. I want to see him up here as much as anyone because he's an exciting prospect, but it's not up to us. Maybe they intend to bring him up this year, but just want to see a little bit more from him in Tacoma first. Maybe the decision to call him up this year is going to depend on what they're able to do at the trade deadline with the pitching staff. Maybe they went into the season with no intention of calling him up to the majors this year, but he ends up forcing their hand by dominating in Tacoma. Maybe they have no intention of calling him up here no matter what. There are so many ways that this could play out that I don't think it's as easy as looking at his stats in Tacoma and saying, "He's ready".

 

[Destroydacre]

There is a difference, though, between what we think of as "ready" and what baseball scouts, coaches and execs think of as "ready". We see his stats in four starts in Tacoma and we say he's ready, but there's always more to it than just stats. I want to see him up here as much as anyone because he's an exciting prospect, but it's not up to us. Maybe they intend to bring him up this year, but just want to see a little bit more from him in Tacoma first. Maybe the decision to call him up this year is going to depend on what they're able to do at the trade deadline with the pitching staff. Maybe they went into the season with no intention of calling him up to the majors this year, but he ends up forcing their hand by dominating in Tacoma. Maybe they have no intention of calling him up here no matter what. There are so many ways that this could play out that I don't think it's as easy as looking at his stats in Tacoma and saying, "He's ready".

I agree and although my post may have sounded that way, I am not advocating for the Mariners to call up Taijuan. The only point I was trying to get across is that when a pitcher is ready he should be pitching in the majors, regardless of where a team is in the standings. As you said, whether or not a pitcher is ready is tough to gauge and it's a decision I'm glad I don't have to make. His numbers look damn good though.

 

[dude82]

I agree and although my post may have sounded that way, I am not advocating for the Mariners to call up Taijuan. The only point I was trying to get across is that when a pitcher is ready he should be pitching in the majors, regardless of where a team is in the standings. As you said, whether or not a pitcher is ready is tough to gauge and it's a decision I'm glad I don't have to make. His numbers look damn good though.

Yeah it must be awfully tempting to bring him up now given his domination of AAA pitching this month.

Here are some other things to consider: They might work it so that, no matter how well he's pitching in a particular game, he only goes a certain number of innings per start... allowing him to make more starts in Tacoma and go deeper into the season before that limit is reached. They might push him back and occasionally give him an extra day in between starts to stretch his season out that way too. As I mentioned earlier, what the Mariners do at the trade deadline when it comes to Saunders or Harang could determine whether we see Walker this year or not. If he is called up but, due to his innings limit, is only able to make a few starts when he gets here, would that be enough for the fans that wanted to see him this year or will it be seen as a tease?

Anyway... it would be nice to see him get his feet wet up here this year, but I won't be terribly disappointed if they decide to wait until next spring to get him up here. I'm pretty sure I do know one thing though... whenever he does get brought up, his starts are going to have as much buzz, hype, excitement, anticipation, etc., surrounding them as Felix's starts do now.

 

[mcnabb7542]

No, I also dont think 30 inngs in AAA is enough. These guys hit ruts and this guy is still to young, let the season play out, hes going to be shut down at some point why waste a roster spot on someone that might be done after mid August....