Who is Taijuan Walker's wife? Meet Heather Restrepo
On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Phillies reached a four-year, $72 million agreement with free agent Taijuan Walker. The move comes days after the Phillies landed one of the top free agents of the offseason, Trea Turner. Walker will join a star-studded pitching rotation that features the likes of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola.
After falling to the Houston Astros in the World Series, the Philadelphia front office decided to capitalize on their championship window by adding some prized free agents. The move for Walker will replace Noah Syndergaard, who remains on the free-agent market.
One thing I can say about Taijuan Walker: he’s going to be a fan favorite in Philadelphia.
By all accounts a wonderful dude, and a really benevolent athlete. Gets really involved with the community and fanbase.
"One thing I can say about Taijuan Walker: he’s going to be a fan favorite in Philadelphia. By all accounts a wonderful dude, and a really benevolent athlete. Gets really involved with the community and fanbase." - Alex Carr
The Phillies will be the fifth team in Taijuan Walker's career and fourth since he married his wife, Heather Restrepo, on December 17, 2016. The couple and their two sons, Zayden and Zoren, will now call Philadelphia home.
Heather Restrepo was born in Washington on April 18, 1992, to Ginnie Restrepo and was one of thirteen children in her massive blended family. One of her older brothers, Joshua Ellis, died in 2014 in a car accident. He was 28 at the time.
Why are my sisters so cute though? #family #sisters #poolside #Swimsuits #sunday https://t.co/giPMXdlJT4
"Why are my sisters so cute though? #family #sisters #poolside #Swimsuits #sunday" - Heather Restrepo
Heather was a student-athlete in Auburn, Washington, before attending Western Washington University. While at Auburn High School, Heather played basketball and volleyball.
She did a digital media internship at Aston Manor, a 1920's themed night club in Seattle, before receiving a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2015. While her current employment status is unknown, Heather is an active parenting influencer on YouTube.
A look at Taijuan Walker's career to date
Walker was originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the June 2010 MLB Amateur Draft. Heading into his 2013 rookie season, Walker was listed as the number two right-handed pitching prospect in all of the MLB. He showed signs of being a top-of-the-rotation starter in Seattle but struggled with consistency.
After four seasons with the Mariners, Walker found himself bouncing around to different teams, including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, and another season with the Mariners before turning things around with the New York Mets.
In 2021 with the Mets, Taijuan Walker was named to the first and only All-Star Team of his career. Thanks to a career revival in New York, Walker signed a new lucrative deal with the Phillies.
While Taijuan and Heather have bounced around the country, his new $72 million contract should help ease the frustration of constantly uprooting themselves.
The NL Champs add an arm.
Taijuan Walker, Phillies reportedly agree to a 4-year deal, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. https://t.co/gBZqNRpAo5
"The NL Champs add an arm. Taijuan Walker, Phillies reportedly agree to a 4-year deal, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand." - MLB