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Dave Dombrowski's worst Phillies signing is $72 million 'inexcusably average' bust
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- Dave Dombrowski's worst Phillies signing is $72 million 'inexcusably average' bust
Dave Dombrowski's worst Phillies signing is $72 million 'inexcusably average' bust originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Philadelphia Phillies have been playing noticeably better since Don Mattingly was named interim manager.
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However, there's a lot of work to be done. They currently sit nine games behind the Atlanta Braves and are tied with the Miami Marlins for second place in the NL East.
Second place is obviously not what the Phillies thrive for, or expect. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has had to answer a lot of uncomfortable questions over the past month.
FanSided's Tim Boyle wrote Monday that one of Dombrowski's worst decisions since joining the Phillies was signing Taijuan Walker to a regrettable $72 million contract.
"There might not be a worse Phillies free agent signing under Dombrowski than Taijuan Walker. Coming off a good year with the New York Mets , the Phillies gave him $18 million a year for four seasons," wrote Boyle. "Was it better or worse than going three years at a higher rate? That's an argument no one will win because Walker was inexcusably average even at his best."
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Walker remains a free agent after the Phillies decided to release the 14-year veteran in April. He allowed a staggering 23 earned runs and 36 hits in 22.2 innings beforehand.
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"Sure, he won 15 games in 2022 with the aid of a potent offense. He wrapped up his Phillies tenure with a 24-25 record and 5.12 ERA," Boyle added. "Shoved into the bullpen for a large part of it, the Walker signing was a miss by Dombrowski that'll continue to haunt the ball club. His roster spot and the finances invested in him would have been far better spent elsewhere."
The Phillies are still responsible for the rest of Walker's salary. It's become dead money on the payroll, and Dombrowski must bitterly regret leading the charge for his contract back in 2022.
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