D-Backs non-tender Souza, Walker after injury-plagued seasons
Two members of the Arizona Diamondbacks coming off injury-plagued 2019 seasons will have to continue their comebacks elsewhere.
Outfielder Steven Souza Jr. has been non-tendered by the D-Backs, a source told Zach Buchanan of The Athletic; starting pitcher Taijuan Walker has also become a free agent after getting non-tendered.
Arizona acquired Souza from the Tampa Bay Rays as part of a three-team deal in February 2018. At the time of the trade, he was coming off a career-best season, and the D-Backs expected him to become a cornerstone of their outfield. Ultimately, health made that an impossible task.
A recurring pectoral injury limited Souza to just 72 games in 2018 and a meager .220/.309/.369 slash line with five home runs. His 2019 season then ended in freak fashion during the final game of spring training when he slipped on home plate while scoring a run and tore nearly every ligament in his knee.
Last month, Souza posted a Twitter video of himself running at full speed for the first time since the injury.
Finally back our running at 100% in AZ!! Let’s goo! God is Good! pic.twitter.com/5lcEkfT7YQ
— Steven Souza Jr. (@SouzaJr) November 18, 2019
The 30-year-old is a career .233/.323/.417 hitter over five big-league seasons with the D-Backs, Rays, and Washington Nationals. Before being non-tendered, Souza was entering his third and final year of arbitration and was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $4.125 million in 2020.
Walker, meanwhile, spent three seasons in Arizona after being acquired from the Seattle Mariners in 2016. After helping the team reach the playoffs with a productive 2017 season, he needed Tommy John surgery early in 2018 and has been sidelined ever since.
The 27-year-old managed to make it back to the mound once in 2019, throwing a scoreless inning in the D-Backs' season finale. Walker has thrown just 14 innings over the last two years combined.
Walker was projected by MLBTR to earn $5.025 million through arbitration before being non-tendered.
In addition to Souza and Walker, Arizona has also reportedly non-tendered veteran catcher Caleb Joseph, according to Piecoro.
The other eight D-Backs players eligible for arbitration were tendered contracts for 2020, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.