Walker officially announced his retirement Tuesday.

EDGE Analysis

Known as the Pittsburgh Kid, Walker made the majors and had many of his best years for his hometown Pirates. He finishes his career with a career .267/.338/.426 slash line, 149 home runs and 21.6 fWAR across 12 MLB seasons.

Walker elected free agency Monday after refusing an outright assignment to the Phillies' alternate training site.

EDGE Analysis

Walker will look to catch on with an organization after he went unclaimed off waivers following the Phillies' decision Friday to designate him for assignment. Before receiving his walking papers, Walker struggled to see the field for Philadelphia, appearing in .231/.244/.308. Given his lackluster production the past few years, his advancing age and his limited defensive flexibility, the 35-year-old Walker's time in the big leagues could be over.

Walker was designated for assignment by the Phillies on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Walker reportedly contemplated retirement if he was unable to win a big-league job this spring, so it's possible this is the end of the line for the 12-year veteran, who hasn't produced an above-average batting line since 2017. He got very close last year, posting a 99 wRC+, but he owns a mark of 42 in that category this season in limited playing time, the product of a .231/.244/.308 slash line. Ronald Torreyes should fill the reserve infield role going forward after his contract was selected in a corresponding move.

Walker went 3-for-3 with two RBI on Wednesday as he played a key part in in a 3-0 win over the Nationals.

EDGE Analysis

Walker made just his third start since Aug. 13 and took advantage of the opportunity with his first multi-hit game of the season. The solid outing isn't likely to impact Walker's playing time, as he should continue to primarily be a bench option for the Phillies.

Walker will start at first base and will bat eighth Wednesday against the Nationals, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

EDGE Analysis

He'll step in as a replacement for Rhys Hoskins, who is presumably getting a maintenance day after starting in every game for the Phillies since Aug. 13. Walker also filled in for Hoskins that day, but in between, he made only one other start for Philadelphia (on Aug. 20). The veteran infielder is hitting .192 over 28 plate appearances this season, and he may have find himself on the chopping block when Scott Kingery (back) eventually returns from the 10-day injured list.

Walker will start at second base and bat seventh in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Braves.

EDGE Analysis

Walker will be making his third start in four games at his third different position, this time covering second base in place of a resting Scott Kingery. Though his playing time has been on the rise lately, Walker's path to a full-time role looks like it will be locked so long as all members of the Phillies' regular infield (Rhys Hoskins, Kingery, Jean Segura and Didi Gregorius) are healthy.

Walker will be on the Phillies' Opening Day roster, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Walker is expected to fill a bench role for the Phillies, beating out Logan Forsythe, who was released Saturday. At age 34, Walker isn't the player he was at his peak, but his .261/.344/.395 slash line in a part-time role for the Marlins last season was good for a respectable 99 wRC+, which should serve him well enough as a bench bat.

Walker will be part of the Phillies' 60-man roster.

EDGE Analysis

While Walker is a veteran utility player, he's not on the 40-man roster yet and isn't necessarily a lock to break camp. The Phillies have established players at all infield spots, and Josh Harrison and Logan Forsythe are in the mix as well for similar roles, with Phil Gosselin and Ronald Torreyes waiting in the wings. Walker did improve his OPS significantly to .738 last season, but he saw low counting stats with the Marlins, and his defense graded out poorly.

Walker hit a passable .250/.300/.393 in 11 Grapefruit League games this spring.

EDGE Analysis

Walker has no intention of heading to Triple-A as a 34-year-old, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports, so he may be bound for retirement if he can't win a roster spot in Philadelphia. As a switch hitter who can play both infield and outfield (he started games at first, second, third and left field this spring), he should have a good chance to do that. The Phillies can afford to prioritize offense with their bench spots as they have three players capable of playing shortstop (Didi Gregorius, Jean Segura and Scott Kingery) in the expected starting lineup. Walker's switch hitting may give him the edge over fellow veterans Logan Forsythe and Josh Harrison as a pinch-hit option, but it would probably take an injury ahead of him for him to earn a fantasy-relevant role.

Walker signed with the Phillies as a non-roster invitee Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Following eight straight seasons with a wRC+ of at least 106, the 34-year-old's performance has fallen off in the last two seasons. His .261/.344/.395 line for the Marlins last season was still good for a roughly average 99 wRC+, however, meaning he should still be a capable bench player. Whether the Phillies want to carry a bench bat that didn't start anywhere other than the corner infield spots last year remains to be seen.