Taijuan Walker Wins Fifth Starter Job

We all knew Taijuan Walker was going to be the fifth starter. That was evident pretty much the moment he unveiled his new slider. When Roenis Elias began to struggle, things became even more clear. And now the Seattle Mariners have gone and made it – well, not official, but just about official.

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The team cut nine players from big league camp today, most notably optioning Roenis Elias to AAA. That leaves Taijuan Walker and Erasmo Ramirez still fighting for a spot on the opening day roster, except that they’re not fighting for a spot at all. Walker’s going to be in the rotation, and Ramirez is going to be on a different team.

The eight players reassigned to minor league camp: Joe Saunders, Kevin Correia, Mark Lowe, Jordan Pries, Shawn O’Malley, Carlos Rivero, John Baker, and Endy Chavez. With Saunders on his way to the minors, it’s now clear that the team’s second lefty will be Tyler Olson. Or they’ll keep Yoervis Medina and simply pass on another lefty arm altogether, which would be one way to end a position battle.

I guess maybe you thought there was still a chance for Jesus Sucre or Willie Bloomquist to lose their spots on the opening day roster, but those chances are out the window with the reassignment of Baker, Rivero, and O’Malley. The roster is pretty much set, aside from a bullpen spot or two. Maybe neither Medina or Olson make the team, and the M’s simply decide to use Erasmo as a long man. Who knows!

What we do know is that Tai Walker has been awesome all spring, and not just because he’s been getting lucky against crappy competition. No, he’s looked awesome because he ditched his cut fastball – a pitch he learned as a professional and had unusually poor command of – in favor of a new slider. The cutter didn’t do much cutting, but this slider slides with the best of them. It’s an exciting development for a kid who’s got ace potential. Never mind that he looked the part of an ace in spring training, of course.

Congratulations are due for a guy who’s now going to have the chance to put it all together over a full season in the bigs. Between Walker and James Paxton, this rotation’s got two of the most exciting young arms in the American League. Paired with Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma, of course. And then whatever J.A. Happ turns out to be.

Here’s a question worth asking: who’s the best sixth starter in the game? Okay, it’s Tanner Roark, and pretty obviously so. But who’s next? Is it Elias? Certainly the best in the division, at least. He’s better than almost everyone’s number five (or four, or three) guy, and he’s going to start the year with the Rainiers. That’s enviable depth. That’s our enviable depth.

Only 29 players left in big league camp. The regular season begins in eight days.

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