CHICAGO (AP) — The slumping Philadelphia Phillies released veteran right-hander Taijuan Walker before Thursday’s game against the Chicago Cubs and recalled righty Nolan Hoffman from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Walker, in his 14th major league season, exited the Phillies clubhouse a couple of hours before Thursday’s contest. He was in the final year of a four-year, $72 million contract and let go after outfielder Nick Castellanos was released by the Phillies in February as he entered the final year of a five-year, $100 million deal.
The Phillies had optioned right-hander Alan Rangel to Lehigh Valley following Wednesday’s 7-2 loss to Chicago, their eighth straight.
The 33-year-old Walker was an All-Star with the New York Mets in 2021 and peaked with a 15-6 record and 4.38 ERA with Philadelphia in 2023. But he’s slid ever since, starting 2026 at 1-4 with a 9.13 ERA in five games, and has a combined 9-19 record with a 5.67 ERA over the past three seasons.
Walker gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits in four innings of bulk relief and took the loss at Wrigley Field on Wednesday. With ace Zack Wheeler set to return on Saturday, Walker was bumped out of the Phillies rotation.
Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, said the team tried to trade Walker’s contract “various times,” but found no takers.
“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 added. “Maybe a change of scenery will help him."
Philadelphia owes Walker $15,208,556 of his $18 million salary this year. Any team can sign him for a prorated share of the $780,000 minimum, with the Phillies remaining responsible for the remainder of the money.
Manager Rob Thomson said: “It's just all performance based. I hope that people understand."
“We had a really good year out of him the first year (2023) with the 15 wins,” Thomson added. “With the injuries we had last year, this guy took down 125 innings and basically helped us get to the playoffs.”
Thomson praised Walker's presence and work ethic.
“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.”
This story has been corrected to show that Walker pitched in relief on Wednesday, not as the starter.
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Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker (99) warms up before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was weighing a taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines with the intent of reselling the struggling budget carrier after oil prices drop.
The president confirmed his continued interest in offering Spirit a financial lifeline after a lawyer told a U.S. Bankruptcy Court that the airline was in advanced talks with the U.S. government on a financing deal.
“They have some good aircraft and good assets, and when the prices of oil goes down, we’ll sell it for a profit,” Trump said, speaking at an unrelated Oval Office event. “I’d love to be able to save those jobs. I’d love to be able to save an airline.”
Trump stoked speculation of a deal to save Spirit on Tuesday when he encouraged a buyer to rescue the airline and suggested the federal government could help keep it afloat.
The White House on Wednesday attempted to blame Spirit’s predicament on the Biden administration, which in 2023 sued to stop JetBlue Airways from buying Spirit for $3.8 million. A little more than a year before Trump replaced Joe Biden as president, a federal judge in Dallas blocked a proposed Spirit-JetBlue merger, saying it would drive up airfares for passengers.
But some lawmakers and even Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have voiced skepticism about the government stepping in to keep Spirit alive. In a CBS interview that aired Tuesday night, the transportation secretary questioned whether a financing deal would set a broader precedent.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer for Spirit Airlines said Thursday that the budget carrier was in advanced talks with the U.S. government on a financing deal that would help it emerge from bankruptcy protection instead of having to shut down.
Details of the potential deal have been shared with all three of the company’s primary creditor groups, Marshall Huebner, a lawyer with Davis Polk, said during a U.S. Bankruptcy Court hearing in New York.
Spirit has struggled with losses for years. The airline filed for Chapter 11 protection in November 2024 and again in August 2005. Government financing would make the airline's latest reorganization possible and help Spirit be more competitive, Huebner said.
With the Iran war driving up jet fuel costs for all airlines, creditors earlier this month expressed doubts about Spirit's ongoing viability, raising the possibility the airline recognized for its bright yellow planes would be forced to sell its assets and cease operating.
Trump stoked speculation of a deal to save Spirit on Tuesday when he encouraged a buyer to rescue the airline and suggested the federal government could help keep it afloat.
Asked about possible government relief, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters the same day that Trump had directed the Department of Transportation to review possible options.
The size and terms of the financial aid under discussion have not been shared publicly. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg both reported anonymous sources saying the amount was $500 million and the government would reserve the option to acquire a sizable stake in the airline, which has its headquarters in Florida.
The White House on Wednesday attempted to blame Spirit's predicament on the Biden administration, which in 2023 sued to stop JetBlue Airways from buying Spirit for $3.8 million. A little more than a year before Trump replaced Joe Biden as president, a federal judge in Dallas blocked a proposed Spirit-JetBlue merger, saying it would drive up airfares for passengers.
But some lawmakers and even Duffy have voiced skepticism about the government stepping in to keep Spirit alive. In a CBS interview that aired Tuesday night, the transportation secretary questioned whether a financing deal would set a broader precedent.
“Then who else comes to my door?” Duffy said, referring to other airlines potentially requesting government aid. “The question will be, can we do anything to save Spirit and make it viable, or would we be putting good money into a company that inevitably is going to be liquidated?”
Several lawmakers, both Republican and Democrats, have balked at the idea of a bailout. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas wrote on X on Wednesday that a deal for Spirit would be a “terrible idea.”
“If Spirit’s creditors or other potential investors don’t think they can run it profitably coming out of its second bankruptcy in under two years, I doubt the US Government can either,” Tom Cotton, a senator from Arkansas, posted. “Not the best use of taxpayer dollars.”
The union that represents the airline's pilots, on the other hand, voiced “strong support” for a rescue deal.
“Spirit is the reason so many Americans can afford to visit family, travel for work, or take a vacation,” said Capt. Ryan P. Muller, chair of the Spirit Airlines ALPA Master Executive Council. “When Spirit enters a market, fares go down.”
Spirit’s relatively young fleet has made it an attractive acquisition target. But previous buyout attempts from budget rivals like JetBlue and Frontier were unsuccessful both before and during Spirit’s first bankruptcy.
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AP writers Josh Boak in Washington and Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.
FILE - The tail of a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 is shown as the plane prepares to take off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Jan. 19, 2021, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
