Astros pitching desperation could lead to mistake fans will hate after Phillies release

The Philadelphia Phillies made the somewhat surprising decision to release starting pitcher Taijuan Walker earlier this week. Surprising because Walker is still owed the balance of the four-year, $72 million deal he signed with Philly back in 2023.

The Houston Astros could kick the tires on a potential deal for Walker. After all, the Astros rotation has been decimated by injuries through the first few weeks of the 2026 season, and the Phillies are footing the bill — he's making $18 million this season. Why not?

Adding Taijuan Walker would be a mistake for the Astros

Beggars can't be choosers, right? Houston's rotation has seen pitcher after pitcher hit the IL, including their ace, Hunter Brown. Currently, Brown, Ronel Blanco, Cody Bolton, Tatsuya Imai, Nate Peason, Christian Javier, Brandon Walter, and Hayden Wesneski are all on the injured list.

The Astros are toying with the idea of moving Kei-Wei Teng from the bullpen to a rotation that's seen little from Mike Burrows, Lance McCullers Jr., and Ryan Weiss. But the answer to the Astros' rotation troubles isn't going to be found in an aging veteran whose best years are behind him. Like way, way behind him.

Walker hasn't been relevant since he signed that contract. Since 2023, he's started 71 of the 89 games he's pitched in. His ERA (5.12) and FIP (5.38) leave a lot to be desired, and he only covered 230 innings over the last three seasons.

The old saying, "Just because the gate's open, don't mean you should wander through it," has a bit of relevance in this scenario. Walker's release presents the pitching-starved Astros with a chance to add a starter, but that's not a path Houston needs to go down. Unfortunately, desperation can play tricks on the minds of GMs.

Rather than chasing Walker, the Astros' front office should be focused on getting their starters healthy and, if necessary, promoting one of their young arms from the farm system. Walker is a known commodity, but a bad one, and he'd only make a miserable situation even worse.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow