Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik insisted Wednesday that pitching prospect Taijuan Walker remains an intergral part of the team's plans moving forward, MLB.com reports.
Zduriencik called a report that the team had soured on Walker, in part due to his decision to cut his AFL assignment short, "ridiculous," adding, "We’d have maybe liked Taijuan to pitch a little more, but he really didn’t feel he was where he needed to be to pitch for other reasons. But physically he was throwing 100 mph, he’d given us two really good starts at the end and two really good starts in the Arizona Fall League and he was at the point where he was ready to get into his offseason program.
"There was great logic after our discussions with him at the time. We knew what was going on and he’d pitched great. He had four very successful outings at the end and all that set him up for the coming year. So we’re very pleased with Taijuan Walker. This is a great, young arm, a very talented kid that is going to be a part of this for years to come."
Walker's name has come up in trade rumors this offseason, particularly connected to the team's quest to add a quality right fielder. If he remains with the Mariners organization, he's expected to compete for a rotation spot in the spring.