OAKLAND, Calif. - -Feeling that the team could no longer count on Jamie Walker to get left-handed hitters out, the Orioles released the struggling reliever Friday despite still owing him about $3 million.
To take his place on the roster, the Orioles recalled left-handed reliever Alberto Castillo, who had a 3.09 ERA in 24 appearances for Triple-A Norfolk and had held left-handed hitters to a .209 average.
Castillo, 33, pitched in 28 games for the Orioles last year, compiling a 3.81 ERA. Left-handed hitters batted .256 against him, with two home runs in 39 at-bats.
In a telephone interview a couple of hours after he learned of his release, Walker told The Baltimore Sun that he was not surprised by the decision and holds no resentment toward the Orioles.
"You never want to be released, but it's not like it hasn't happened before in my career," said Walker, who turns 38 next month. "It's a business, basically, and I'm OK with the decision. ... I'm not mad at the Baltimore Orioles. Hell, I thank the Baltimore Orioles. They gave me a three-year deal, and I tried to do whatever I could when I was there. If I don't pitch again in the big leagues, I had a hell of a career."
Left-handed hitters were batting .458 against Walker with four home runs.
In his most recent outing, Tuesday in Seattle, the left-hander allowed two home runs to lefties (Russell Branyan and Ken Griffey Jr.) and a long double in one inning. That raised Walker's ERA to 5.11 and marked the sixth time in his past nine outings in which he had given up an earned or inherited run.
"Obviously, his last appearance in Seattle was the one that finalized it," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "Everybody knows what the numbers are. We just felt we had to try and get somebody who would be more effective. It just wasn't getting better.
"Walker was a great teammate and a tremendous presence on the club for us," Trembley said. "We'll miss what he brought, other than just out there pitching."
In 22 appearances spanning 12 1/3 innings, Walker surrendered 19 hits and five homers, and opponents batted .373 against him.
"That's the life of a relief pitcher, man," Walker said. "I maybe made five bad pitches or seven bad pitches, but my job was to get lefties out. I realized that. They didn't bring me in to walk a lefty or give up a home run to a lefty. My numbers don't look good, but like I told you, I always leave with a positive. I didn't walk anybody this year."
