Phillies Eye $72 Million Veteran for Bullpen Role After Diamondbacks Heartbreaker
The Philadelphia Phillies’ biggest roster change of the winter came as a pretty big surprise. Despite owning one of baseball’s deepest and most impactful starting rotations, the front office opted to trade for Miami Marlins hurler Jesús Luzardo. This gave the team an even deeper staff and has shaped its identity to start the season.
As reigning All-Star starter Ranger Suárez returned from an injured list stint to make his season debut on Sunday, the Phillies had to decide whether to relegate a standing starter to the bullpen or go with a rare six-man rotation. The team opted to move veteran Taijuan Walker to the relief corps. And now could he get the chance to close out games? The Phillies have had a hard time identifying a shutdown closer after losing Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez to new teams in free agency. The bullpen has one of the highest collective ERAs in all of baseball so far at a 4.71 mark. In Walker’s first game as a member of that bullpen, it’s clear the Phillies would consider using him in a high-leverage situation after they asked him to warm up ahead of the 10th inning in Sunday’s heartbreaking loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. “(Manager Rob) Thomson would point to Walker, available in an emergency only Sunday, heading to the bullpen in the ninth inning to prepare for a hasty appearance as proof that he’s willing to adapt,” Matt Gelb wrote for The Athletic. Entering his third season of a four-year, $72 million contract with the Phillies, Walker has focused on rediscovering his velocity after a harsh 2024 campaign. That uptick could be critical as the Phillies seek some bullpen help.
Philadelphia Phillies probable pitchers & starting lineups vs. Tampa Bay Rays
The Philadelphia Phillies (19-15) begin a six-game road trip on Tuesday when they face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (16-18) at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. The location is notable, since it’s a minor league ballpark the Rays are borrowing from the New York Yankees for the season while they wait for Tropicana Field to be repaired.
The Phillies come in to this one having won three straight series and six of their last eight games. They missed out on a series sweep against the Arizona Diamondbacks with an 11-9 extra-inning loss on Sunday. Ranger Suárez returned to the rotation, but didn’t fare well in his season debut.
Last season, the Phillies swept the Rays in a three-game September series in Philadelphia, outscoring the visitors 14-7. They open the week three games behind the New York Mets in the NL East. With nothing but right-handers on the schedule, look for left fielder Max Kepler to continue his strong run at the plate — he has been the Phillies’ hottest hitter since April 21.
The Rays sit third in the AL East, 2.5 games behind the Yankees. Tampa Bay is 6-4 in their last 10 games, and is coming off a weekend series win over the Bronx Bombers. They’ve struggled to score runs this season, with their 131 runs ranking as the eighth-lowest total in the majors this season. Despite playing home games in a home run-friendly minor league park, their 28 long balls are the fifth-fewest.