This season, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets share the worst record in Major League Baseball. But there’s a bright spot for Philadelphia: ace pitcher Zack Wheeler is finally ready to make his season debut on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves.
For the Phillies to have any realistic chance of competing with the Braves, this weekend’s series is critical. With Wheeler’s return, the team has decided to part ways with an expensive underperformer.
Phillies Cut Taijuan Walker
According to multiple reports, Philadelphia is releasing Taijuan Walker. Jon Heyman noted on April 23 that Walker’s four-year, $72 million contract didn’t pan out, and he’s now in the final year of the deal. Walker’s performance this season has been dismal over 22.1 innings, he’s allowed 23 earned runs, the most in MLB so far. That statistic underscores why the Phillies’ front office made the right call.
Across 72 starts and 402.1 innings with Philadelphia, Walker posted a 4.90 ERA, 290 strikeouts, 73 home runs allowed, and 161 walks. Before joining the Phillies, he pitched for the New York Mets, where he was a reliable arm and even made the All-Star team in 2021, finishing that season with a 4.47 ERA over 29 starts.
Walker’s Career Context / Wheeler’s Return
Unfortunately for Walker, someone had to be cut to make room for Wheeler’s return, and given that Walker has been one of the worst starters in baseball right now, the decision was obvious. Despite his recent struggles, Walker is a 14-year MLB veteran with 234 career starts, 1,300.2 innings pitched, a 4.27 ERA, and 1,105 strikeouts.
It remains to be seen what’s next for Walker. The Phillies still owe him significant money, but it’s uncertain whether any team will take a chance on him at this stage. At age 33, his most likely path forward would be a minor-league contract if he even wants to continue pitching under those terms.
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