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With Paxton coming back from injury there is still more question as to whether he will be healthy than if he had been pitching. It did mitigate concerns over his innings total.
With Young there are questions about his innings total. He has never pitched 180 innings, logged 115 2 years ago but not otherwise over 100 Since 2008. He is on pace for approximately 156 innings before the postseason. Sure, he is not a young guy where you'd be as worried and he has gentler mechanics too. There is question there though.
It is entirely possible that they will both be fine but it is prudent to have a backup plan or 2. If Walker is traded I don't really see 2 possible playoff caliber pitchers. Even Elias, assuming he would pitch well enough to work out, has more serious innings concerns if he were to continue in the rotation. With the talk of acquiring Price or similar it does make a bit more sense in that light than just saying that their pitching has been a plus so why improve it. Not trying to put words in anyone's mouth with that, it's just a comment I have heard often in general.