The Phillies have released veteran right-hander Taijuan Walker, per a club announcement. Philadelphia also optioned right-hander Alan Rangel to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and recalled right-hander Nolan Hoffman. It seems there’ll be another move before today’s game to fill the 26th spot on the roster.
Walker, 33, is in the final season of a four-year, $72MM contract that didn’t pan out at all as the team hoped. It was a surprisingly large contract at the time he signed the deal. Walker was fresh off a solid 29-start showing with the Mets (3.49 ERA, 157 1/3 innings), but his rate stats didn’t support that level of run prevention. Walker had a decent season as an innings eating, back-of-the-rotation starter in year one of the contract (4.38 ERA, 172 2/3 frames), and he posted solid results between the rotation and bullpen in 2025 as well (4.08 ERA, 123 2/3 innings).
The other two seasons of the contract have been a nightmare. Walker was one of the least-effective pitchers in the sport in 2024, yielding a 7.10 earned run average across 83 2/3 innings. This season has gone even worse. The veteran righty has pitched 22 2/3 innings and been shelled for 25 runs (23 earned) on a whopping 36 hits and 11 walks with only 17 strikeouts. He’s working with the second-worst velocity of his career — ahead of only that disastrous ’24 campaign — and missing bats at his lowest levels ever. Between those red flags and the 9.13 ERA, the Phillies were left with little choice but to move on as they try to crawl out of an 8-16 hole and snap a woeful eight-game losing streak.
The Phillies will remain on the hook for the rest of Walker’s $18MM salary this season. He’s still owed a bit more than $15MM of that sum. Any team that signs Walker would owe him only the prorated league minimum for any time he spends on said club’s major league roster or injured list. That amount would be subtracted from what the Phillies owe, but they’re paying the vast majority of the tab even in a best-case scenario.
Ace Zack Wheeler will return to the Phillies’ rotation this weekend, though it’s anyone’s guess how he’ll perform on the heels of a procedure to address thoracic outlet syndrome. He’s posted a 5.85 ERA in 20 minor league rehab innings, albeit with more encouraging rate stats: 28% strikeout rate, 6.1% walk rate, 45.1% ground-ball rate. Wheeler will join last year’s Cy Young runner-up, Cristopher Sánchez, longtime top prospect Andrew Painter, and veterans Aaron Nola and Jesús Luzardo in the Philadelphia rotation.
All told, Walker ends up with 402 2/3 innings of 5.12 ERA ball as a member of the Phillies. He now becomes the second high-priced veteran whose contract will effectively be eaten by the Phillies this season. Outfielder/designated hitter Nick Castellanos was also cut loose from the final season of a five-year, $100MM contract just prior to spring training. He’s since signed with the Padres, for whom he’s batting .146/.196/.208 in 51 plate appearances. As with Walker, the Phillies are paying the vast majority of Castellanos’ $20MM salary. The Padres only owe him the prorated minimum for any time spent in the majors.
BOOM!
Bohm next?
He said boom not Bohm.
Yup, so the phans and phront office won’t be able to blame it all Thompson when he gets canned shortly 😱
Dang.
Jays for a couple weeks? Rekindle that old flame.
He looks cooked.
So, Red Sox?
Braves could use him for a start or two. He’s better than Carrasco (probably).
I dont know if hes better than Carrasco(i doubt it), but even so, hes definitely worse than a whole lot of older AAAA types languishing in the minors.
His contract was the only thing keeping someone more deserving of getting that shot.
Woo-hoo!
THE NIGHTMARE IS OVER!
Dave
What took you so long
Straight up gave him his walking papers.
Oof. A signing that aged like milk. Maybe he’ll find a bullpen role elsewhere.
. . . in Taiwan
Tijuana more likely…
Taiwan and even Tijuana are mildly insulted. The only thing Walker should be pitching is term life insurance.
Took long enough and will go down as one of the worst signings and continued to be played signings of Dombrowski’s career. His end of the Phillies run is looking incredibly ugly with the release of Nick C and Walker…What’s releasing 40M hurt? HA!!!
Can he afford to eat Nolas putrid contract and when will he fire his incompetent manager.
No; and not soon enough!
That’s a lot of wasted money released this year with Casty as well.
Better than having the wasted money AND the two wasted roster spots.
Word on the street is that Dumbrowski is still trying to find the guy who signed Walker. He’ll solve that case right after he identifies the guy who forgot to acquire a legitimate cleanup hitter
This was a bad contract before the ink dried. I never understood this move, phillies thought they were stealing him.
I will never understand why they let Zach Eflin walk when he signed a 3/40 with TB. Neither pitcher was over powering, but Eflin never walked anyone and looked as if he was developing nicely under Cotham.
Must be rough to get $72 million and not be able to do a decent job
Thank God. I’d rather see Dylan Moore pitch.
Me too! 🤣
The price for ignoring reality can be very steep. I doubt any other team would have given Walker more than a 1 or 2 year deal at the time.
Mets reunion coming up?
“Best By date” on the carton said mid -January 2026.
Some pitching needy team will give him a shot. For the prorated league minimum it can’t hurt
More dead money for 2026, but this clearly had to happen. You can’t work high in the zone every night with that repertoire. This team needs to start playing like they are all about to join him.
Hopefully the first of a number of dominoes to fall.
Luzardo needs to step it up. He’s got better stuff than his numbers show.
Stay focused and execute pitches. Once it goes sideways in a game for this guy, he falls to pieces.
Too bad it didn’t work. Phillies let Eflin go for Walker who signed a shorter deal for less money and certainly put up better numbers during that time. Taiwan had one decent year with Philly, but to his credit he seemed like one of the better teammates. Always on the top step of the dugout living and dieing with the team.
That surprised me. Maybe the Astros should get him as cheap pitching depth?
I watched the Cubs game where he started after the opener. He wasn’t that bad to get fired. It wasn’t good either but to get fired is little extreme
A lot of cash to do nuthin.
320M luxury tax payroll, 38M to players that are no longer on the 40-man roster, 8-16 record.
They are doing a good job of placating the Mets in someway.
I still like the Mets and the Phillies both to turn it around this season but when they are losing, it doesn’t just stink, it reeks.
Neither will turn it around…one has gotten old quickly and the other doesn’t have enough depth.
ABOUT TIME
So many decisions by the Phillies been absolutely dreadful but at least they are addressing them.
Next to go… Long and Thomson.
About freaking time
Over the winter I had suggested a trade with the Angels.
Phillies acquire:
– Mike Trout (5/$180M)
– Reid Detmers (1/$3M)
Angels acquire:
– Nick Castellanos (1/$20M)
– Taijuan Walker (1/$18M)
– Gabriel Rincones Jr. (#8)
– Keaton Anthony 1B (#29)
– Wen Hu Pan (#19)
Most agreed the salary relief might be appealing to Anaheim, and a way for them to do right by their franchise player. It would have been a clever way to handle the “Casty” situation. Angels get a much needed LH OF’er, some RH thump and nice pitching prospect with some international appeal – while adding 2 veterans to a patch work roster. The salaries would have cancelled out even money in 2026, and the Phillies finally would have had some protection for Bryce Harper in the cleanup spot. Detmers is the kind of LHP the Phillies brass has done wonders tinkering with, getting the most out of these cast off southpaws. Most people that argued, believed the Phillies would be crazy to do that move. As it stands, Trout would probably get 5/$180 on the open market right now, so the Phillies could’ve avoided paying a dime to Casty or Walker this year. Just took some work and creativity, and maybe taking back a bad longer term contract. The other suggestion was LA Dodgers for Tanner Scott, who coming into spring training seemingly had one of the worst contracts in baseball.
He’s been bad and had to go. Maybe this sends a message to the other slackers? Probably not, there’s some bad long term contracts on the roster.
He should be able to get 3 outs, most of the time. Who couldn’t use his help in the bullpen. New team would do wonders
“Surprise surprise surprise”! 🎶 “It was just a matter of time” 🎶
💥BOHM💥
No Giolito for three mill?
They Phillies have to do something about this offense, they tried the Garcia thing it’s a flop and just about everyone could have predicted that. Bohm is atrocious and has been for a while. Marsh is marsh he belongs in a platoon. Stott is ok when he’s hot and awful when he’s not. Realmunto is injured and has been on the decline for 3 years.
I don’t know if there is a trade out there in April but they need to get more out of this offense. Harper and Schwarber are doing their jobs, Trea seems to start slow every year. Crawford is a nice piece but he can’t be the 4th best offensive player on the team
Thank goodness. He did not handle being over paid very well.
Who is going to play 3rd, Sosa? I think Bohm is addition by subtractiin bc his gloomy behavior is a real downer for the team. However, he produces better then half the 3rd baseman out there. Miller is at least 45 days from playing regularly so he is not an option.