The Philadelphia Phillies released starting pitcher Taijuan Walker on Thursday amid a difficult start to the season that has them tied for last place in the National League East at 8-16.
Walker, 33, compiled a 9.13 ERA and 1-4 record in five appearances (four starts), allowing 36 hits in 22 2/3 innings with 17 strikeouts and 11 walks. He is still owed $15 million on the final year of a four-year, $72 million contract he signed before the 2023 season.
“It just wasn’t working,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told MLB.com’s Casey Drotter.
“He was very thankful for the opportunity to be here, he wishes it would’ve turned out differently,” he added. “We know, and he knows, that he gave every effort he possibly could to try to get people out.”
The Phillies could have moved Walker to the bullpen, but he hasn’t performed well in relief which led to the decision to move on.
“Rather than put him in the bullpen, which has really not been a great fit for him overall, we just figured we would take an opportunity to put somebody else in the pen,” Dombrowski explained, via the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Reliever Nolan Hoffman was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he compiled a 2.35 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.
Releasing Walker looks ahead to the return of Zack Wheeler, scheduled to make his first start of the season against the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves (17-8) after recovering from thoracic outlet surgery last September.
In his four seasons with the Phillies, Walker registered a 5.12 ERA and 24-25 record in 89 appearances (71 starts) and 402 2/3 innings, striking out an average of 6.7 batters per nine. His best performance was during his first year in Philadelphia, when he finished with a 15-6 record and 4.38 ERA in 31 starts.
With the remaining $15 million owed to Walker, the Phillies will now be paying $35 million to players no longer on their roster. The team owed $20 million to outfielder Nick Castellanos, who was released before spring training.
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