Hot Stove: Walker willing to switch to stay with team

[Lup]

People forget his age. He's 24 not 28. He has been around for awhile and that's why people assume he's a bust. He has shown flashes, and he did fare better last year at Indy then the year before. He is poised to break out this year IMO.

[Kipper]

Could be that, could be the injuries, could be he has played young at every at level so far, could be he's a local kid trying too hard to impress, could be he's trying to justify being a #1 draft pick. Could be he just isn't that good!

Walker has played well in spurts so it's in there, he just needs to develop more consistency, stay healthy and put up some numbers for an entire year.

The fact is Walker has a couple more options left so there isn’t really a pressing need to make a final judgment on him this year. It just would not be a very wise baseball decision to give up on a 24 yo kid with his ability at this point. Walker is close to being ML ready maybe this year he puts it together. He'll be just another interesting story to follow this year in a organization full of interesting stories.

Could be a late bloomer too. Some guys it just clicks earlier and others it takes longer. you can't predict those things but you're right in that Walker is still 24. It's an MLB ready age but not a prime year

[wiggles]

Not to rain on the local boys parade but perhaps the headline should read differently.

"Walker not good enough to be with team, willing to switch positions in a fleeding attempt to gain a major league career"

[Kipper]

Not to rain on the local boys parade but perhaps the headline should read differently.

"Walker not good enough to be with team, willing to switch positions in a fleeding attempt to gain a major league career"

I dunno, wiggles. I think both sort of say the same things that - Walker stinks presently and needs to do something to preserve a chance of an MLB career

[wiggles]

Does anyone know where Walker was projected to go in the draft. I know we got him on a hometown discount. Was he projected to be a 1st round draft pick by other clubs?

[Daskid]

Walker was projected to go somewhere in round 1. He ended up going 11th overall. I don't remember the pick being called a "reach" so much as I remember the fact that the Pirates passed on Jared Weaver and Stephen Drew who were both projected top 10 picks but were still on the board due to signability concerns. They both went almost immediately after the Pirates passed and took Walker.

[BigBen2112]

Walker was projected to go somewhere in round 1. He ended up going 11th overall. I don't remember the pick being called a "reach" so much as I remember the fact that the Pirates passed on Jared Weaver and Stephen Drew who were both projected top 10 picks but were still on the board due to signability concerns. They both went almost immediately after the Pirates passed and took Walker.

Indeed...JEred Weaver would look really great at the front of our rotation right now.

[Daskid]

Indeed...JEred Weaver would look really great at the front of our rotation right now.

No doubt.

I was curious so I looked it up. Both Weaver and Drew were projected to go in the top 5 but both were demanding bonuses in the $9M-$10M range.

After the Pirates took Walker at 11, Weaver went 12th and Drew 15th. Walker signed for just under $2M. Weaver and Drew each ended up signing for around $4M.