Taijuan Walker: Declines player option

Walker opted out of the final season on his contract with the Mets on Monday, electing to hit free agency.

In an unsurprising move, Walker has decided to forgo his $6 million player option for 2023 in pursuit of a more lucrative, longer-term deal on the open market. The 30-year-old returned to form in 2022, posting a 3.49 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 132 strikeouts over 157.1 innings in 29 outings with the Mets. With Jacob deGrom and Chris Bassitt also opting out of their contracts over the past two days and joining Walker in free agency, the Mets could be looking at a new-look rotation around centerpiece Max Scherzer in 2023.