The Philadelphia Phillies made a surprising offseason move by acquiring pitcher Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins, despite already having one of the most talented starting rotations in MLB. This addition further strengthened their pitching staff and has played a big role in shaping their early-season identity.
With All-Star starter Ranger Suárez returning from injury to make his 2025 debut, the Phillies faced a decision: shift a starter to the bullpen or implement a rare six-man rotation. They chose to move veteran Taijuan Walker into a relief role.
Now, Walker could be in line for late-game duties. After losing key relievers Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez in free agency, the Phillies have struggled to find a reliable closer, with their bullpen posting a collective 4.71 ERA—one of the worst in baseball.
In his first appearance out of the bullpen, Walker showed he might be trusted in high-leverage situations. During Sunday’s extra-inning loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, manager Rob Thomson had Walker warming up in the ninth inning, indicating confidence in his ability to close games if needed. As The Athletic’s Matt Gelb noted, this reflects Thomson’s willingness to be flexible with his bullpen options.
Now in the third year of his four-year, $72 million deal, Walker is working on regaining his velocity after a difficult 2024 season—an improvement that could be key for a Philadelphia bullpen still searching for stability.
