Tyler Walker bio
In a move that may allow them to keep Brandon Morrow in their rotation – and out of their bullpen – the Seattle Mariners signed free agent reliever Tyler Walker on Monday to a one-year contract.
Walker, 32, is a veteran who has pitched middle and late relief for the Giants and Rays in his six-year career. While he was credited with a career-best 19 holds – awarded to a relief pitcher who enters in a save situation, records at least one out and leaves the game without relinquishing the lead – last season, he does have 34 career saves.
“Tyler is a pitcher we had identified early on as a guy who could help us in the bullpen,” general manager Jack Zduriencik said. “He has the ability to pitch in any role: middle relief, set-up and he has experience as a closer.”
The Mariners’ bullpen, without J.J. Putz, has any number of candidates to close this spring – Mark Lowe, Roy Corcoran and Aaron Heilman among them – but Morrow is probably the best of them.
“Closing? That’s not up to me. That’s the ideal spot to be, the only guy who’s ever happy in the bullpen. He’s pitching when you’re winning. We’ll see how it pans out,” Walker said. “I’ve pitched every inning of a game, including the 14th.”
With Walker as another option, the Mariners seem intent on letting Morrow continue his conversion back to starter, the role he had throughout college.
At 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, Walker has a mid-90s fastball, and with San Francisco last season struck out 49 batters in 53 innings, walking 21. He appeared in 65 games, evidence enough for the Mariners that he is fully recovered from the “Tommy John surgery” he had on his elbow in 2006.
“I throw two fastballs, a split-finger pitch I came up with last year – it’s still a work in progress – a slider, curveball and change-up,” Walker said. “I’ve got the whole kitchen sink.”
Since his return from elbow surgery, Walker is 7-8 with a 3.86 ERA. While Walker’s earned run average of 4.56 last year was hardly eye-popping, some other statistics were. He stranded 32 of 39 inherited base runners, and held right-handed hitters to a .186 batting average.
After San Francisco released him in October, Walker set his sights on a number of teams – including the Mariners.
“I sat down with my agent and gave him a list of teams, and Seattle was at the top,” he said. “You’ve got the West Coast, the weather, the ball park, spring training in Arizona – and I wanted to pitch in the American League. “
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