The Phillies announced they released veteran right-hander Taijuan Walker and, in the same roster move, optioned right-hander Alan Rangel to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and recalled right-hander Nolan Hoffman.
Walker, 33 and in the final season of a four-year, $72 million contract, struggled badly before his release. He finished this season with a 9.13 ERA in 22 2/3 innings, allowing 25 runs — 23 earned — on 36 hits and 11 walks while striking out 17. His numbers this year followed a 2024 campaign in which he posted a 7.10 ERA across 83 2/3 innings, and they stand in sharp contrast to the first season of his Phillies deal, when he worked to a 4.38 ERA in 172 2/3 innings.
The club will remain on the hook for the rest of Walker’s $18 million salary for the season. According to the team notice, the Phillies still owe him a bit more than $15 million of that amount. Any team that signs Walker now would be responsible only for the prorated league minimum for the time he spends on its major league roster or injured list.
Across his tenure with Philadelphia, Walker finished with 402 2/3 innings and a 5.12 ERA. The roster change was announced the same day the club moved Rangel to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and summoned Hoffman to the big league roster.
The roster shakeup follows a sequence of payroll and roster decisions that have dogged the club this season. Just prior to spring training the Phillies cut Nick Castellanos loose from the final season of a five-year, $100 million contract. Castellanos signed with the Padres after his release; the Padres owe him only the prorated minimum for any time he spends in the majors.
That precedent matters now. The Phillies absorbed most of the cost of Castellanos’ contract after releasing him before spring training. They will again shoulder the bulk of Walker’s remaining money rather than keep him on the roster. The math is stark: the club carries more than $15 million in guaranteed pay while any acquiring team would pay almost nothing beyond the prorated minimum.
Philadelphia’s moves come amid a difficult start on the field. The club has tried to arrest an 8-16 start and an eight-game losing streak. Replacing Walker on the active roster gives the Phillies a fresh arm and a short-term roster adjustment without reducing their payroll liabilities.
The tension in the move is obvious. Releasing Walker clears a roster spot and addresses performance concerns — his 9.13 ERA over 22 2/3 innings and the season totals that followed a 7.10 ERA in 2024 were untenable — but it leaves the Phillies absorbing a significant salary hit. The club has already shown it will pay to move on from expensive veterans: the Castellanos release and subsequent signing by the Padres produced the same payroll dynamic the Phillies now face with Walker.
For Walker, the release ends his run in Philadelphia with those 402 2/3 innings and a 5.12 ERA for the franchise. Any new suitor would pick him up at minimal financial cost, creating a market disincentive for teams to assume his full contract. For the Phillies, the decision prioritizes immediate roster flexibility and a push to halt a poor start over recouping payroll.
The most consequential question after the roster move: will the recalled Hoffman provide the immediate innings the rotation needs, or will the club have to seek external help despite paying out Walker’s contract? The answer will shape whether this salary hit is judged a necessary reset or a costly attempt to correct a season that began 8-16.
