The Phillies released veteran right-hander Taijuan Walker on Monday, moving on from the 33-year-old in the final season of his four-year, $72 million contract. Philadelphia also optioned right-hander Alan Rangel to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and recalled right-hander Nolan Hoffman, with another move expected before the game to fill the 26th roster spot.
Walker’s departure came after he was hit hard again this season, when he worked 22 2/3 innings and allowed 25 runs, 23 earned, on 36 hits and 11 walks while striking out 17. His 9.13 ERA this year followed a 7.10 ERA across 83 2/3 innings in 2024, and it stood in contrast to the 4.38 ERA he posted in 172 2/3 innings in the first year of the contract.
There was a brief sign of usefulness in 2025, when Walker put up a 4.08 ERA in 123 2/3 innings between the rotation and bullpen, but the Phillies decided the overall body of work no longer justified a roster spot. He had arrived in Philadelphia after a solid 29-start season with the Mets, yet the contract signed in 2022 never unfolded the way the club expected.
The timing made the move harder to miss. Philadelphia was trying to crawl out of an 8-16 hole and snap an eight-game losing streak, and the front office chose to shake up the pitching staff while the team was looking for any edge to stop the slide.
For Walker, the release closes a disappointing run in Philadelphia. For the Phillies, it is a blunt acknowledgment that patience is running out and the margin for carrying underperforming veterans has narrowed.