CHICAGO — The Philadelphia Phillies made a significant roster move Thursday, cutting ties with veteran pitcher Taijuan Walker while promoting right-hander Nolan Hoffman from their Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley.
Walker departed the team’s clubhouse hours before Thursday’s matchup with the Chicago Cubs. The 33-year-old was completing the fourth and final year of his $72 million deal with Philadelphia.
The roster shuffle came after the Phillies sent pitcher Alan Rangel down to Triple-A following Wednesday’s 7-2 defeat to Chicago, marking their eighth consecutive loss.
Walker, now in his 14th MLB campaign, earned All-Star recognition with the New York Mets in 2021 and delivered his best Philadelphia performance in 2023 with 15 victories and a 4.38 ERA. However, his production has declined significantly since then, posting a combined 9-19 record with a 5.67 ERA across the last three seasons.
This year proved particularly challenging for Walker, who managed just one win against four losses while posting a 9.13 ERA through five appearances. Wednesday’s outing at Wrigley Field saw him surrender five runs on eight hits over four innings in a relief role, earning the loss. His removal from the rotation became inevitable with ace Zack Wheeler scheduled to return Saturday.
Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski revealed the organization attempted to trade Walker’s contract on multiple occasions without success.
“We know and he knows that he gave every effort that he possibly could to try to get people out and it just wasn’t working,” Dombrowski said. “Maybe a change of scenery will help him.”
Manager Rob Thomson emphasized the decision stemmed purely from on-field results.
“It’s just all performance based. I hope that people understand,” Thomson stated.
Despite the disappointing end, Thomson acknowledged Walker’s contributions, particularly his strong 2023 campaign.
“We had a really good year out of him the first year (2023) with the 15 wins,” Thomson noted. “With the injuries we had last year, this guy took down 125 innings and basically helped us get to the playoffs.”
Thomson also praised Walker’s character and professionalism throughout his Philadelphia tenure.
“He’s one of the best teammates and one of the best people I’ve been around,” Thomson said. “This guys a pro, performance aside.
“He tried everything, being the opener and trying to get some velo back, which he did. It didn’t work out, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort on his part.”
