Time may be running out for former Mariners super-prospect released by Phillies

This November will mark 10 years since Taijuan Walker left the Mariners organization. The fact that he was still pitching as recently as Wednesday proves he's done better than most who come through MLB, but that's really the only positive spin to put on him right now.

Walker is, as of this moment, jobless after the Phillies released him on Thursday. They still have five months' worth of payments due on his four-year, $72 million contract. But at that rate, a team can clearly only abide a 9.13 ERA for so long — and yes, Walker really was that bad.

You have to hand it to Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski for being blunt. He copped to previously having tried to trade Walker, before ultimately becoming resigned that the only hope for the 33-year-old righty is a change of scenery.

We can confidently assume that the Mariners won't be the one to give it to him. They don't need starting pitching right now, and it's not as if Jerry Dipoto has a special connection to him as the guy who drafted and developed him back in the day.

Taijuan Walker has never really lived up to his promise as a former Mariners prospect

Of course, Dipoto was the guy who traded Walker to the Diamondbacks after inheriting him from Seattle's previous front office regime. We now know that to be "The Ketel Marte Trade," but it was broadly agreed upon that it was "The Taijuan Walker Trade" at the time.

This was when Walker was still just 24 years old and a couple years removed from recognition as one of MLB's elite prospects. He was a top-five talent at his peak, and here's a line from a 2014 report from Baseball America that will make certain Mariners fans feel ancient: "He has the raw ability to be a No.1 starter and at least settle in as a fine wing man for Felix Hernandez."

Yeah, that didn't really pan out. Walker was more of a semi-reliable innings eater for the Mariners in 2015 and 2016, pitching to a 4.41 ERA over 304 total innings. Even in "breaking out" with Arizona in 2017, he was still less than ace-like in terms of traffic on the bases (1.328 WHIP). He didn't gain anything post-Tommy John in 2018, altogether posting a 4.30 ERA and 1.334 WHIP since leaving Seattle.

The fastball that once had scouts drooling is now a 91.9 mph pitch that he only used 9.9 percent of the time before the Phillies cut him loose. Further, pitch modeling statistics make a case for him as having been the worst starter in MLB.

There's bound to be a pitching-needy contender that will give Walker a chance just based on his pedigree. But then again, one wouldn't be surprised if he became the latest former Mariner to resurface in a totally unexpected foreign league.

Still, there comes a point when you have to give a guy his due. If Walker's release is the end (or at least the near-end) for him in MLB, he'll be able to walk away feeling proud of 14 years of service and an All-Star nod in 2021. And hopefully, more than a little comfortable after nearly $90 million in career earnings.

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