Phillies make the right decision to release Taijuan Walker

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker has been a disaster since signing his four-year, $72 million contract in December of 2022. Walker’s latest disappointment came with the Phillies' 7-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs, which proved to be the last straw for the Phillies. 

According to the Phillies on X, the former All-Star (2021) was released after allowing four earned runs (five total) on eight hits in four innings in relief. Walker’s struggles in the first inning — a 24.75 ERA and three home runs in four starts — led the Phillies to use him as a bulk reliever instead of starting. 

According to The Athletic’s Jayson Stark, Walker’s first-inning woes were so bad that opposing hitters were slashing .353/.417/..657/1.074. This is the same slash line as Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio the year he had his 56-game hit streak (1941) and won the American League MVP Award: .357/.440/.643/1.083.

Along with Walker’s release, right-hander Nolan Hoffman was recalled from Triple-A Leigh Valley, while right-hander Alan Rangel was optioned back to Triple-A. Rangel threw three mop-up innings after Walker and did well, walking none and striking out five. 

Taijuan Walker will likely need to sign a minor league deal to get back into the big leagues

At 33 and with 14 years in the big leagues under his belt, Walker has logged a ton of innings on his right arm (1300.2). Walker has also had Tommy John surgery on his arm in 2018 while with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and dealt with right shoulder soreness in 2024 while with the Phillies. 

Walker’s stuff has also declined, with his home run percentage increasing by 4.3% while with the Phillies (2.7% in 2022 and 7.0% in 2026). This decline by Walker won’t land him in the big leagues with another club this season, but it could, depending on teams' pitching needs. 

At the very least, Walker may be forced to sign a minor league contract to work on sharpening his arsenal to prove he’s ready to get another chance.