Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik insists highly touted young hurler Taijuan Walker is in good graces with the club despite a conflicting report from ESPN's Keith Law, according to MLB's Greg Johns.
Jack Zduriencik refutes concerns about Taijuan Walker’s makeup
Zduriencik denies that his club has become worried about Walker’s character.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
“There is no truth in that whatsoever,” Zduriencik said in response to Law’s tweet earlier on Wednesday that said the team “soured on Walker’s makeup.” The 22-year-old right-hander asked to leave the Arizona Fall League after two starts in order to begin his offseason workout program.
“We’d have maybe liked Taijuan to pitch a little more,” Zduriencik added. “But he really didn’t feel he was where he needed to be to pitch for other reasons.”
Walker was hitting triple digits with his fastball at the end of last season, according to Zduriencik, contributing to a stretch of success that resulted in the 2010 first-round pick posting a 141 ERA+ in limited action at the big league level. Walker has been the subject of trade rumors involving star outfielders Matt Kemp and Justin Upton this offseason as the Mariners attempt to infuse offensive talent into a team that narrowly missed a postseason berth in 2014.
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