Phillies' $72 million veteran gives eye-opening response to career first against Rays

The Philadelphia Phillies are playing catch-up in the American League East as the New York Mets have started the season out hot. The Phillies trail their divisional rival by two games early on in a divisional race with more than a few legit contenders. 

No games can be taken for granted, and manager Rob Thomson is trying to shore up his team’s weaknesses at this early point in the season. One area of concern so far has been the bullpen, which ranks toward the bottom of Major League Baseball in ERA. Thomson ultimately decided to move former All-Star starter Taijuan Walker down to the bullpen. 

The 32-year-old is currently in the third season of his four-year, $72 million deal. Walker has largely struggled as a starter, but his transition to the bullpen already looks to be paying off in spades. The newest reliever picked up his first-ever save in the 7-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. 

In a postgame interview with Lochlahn March, a Phillies reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Walker broke down how he is embracing and adjusting to his new role. 

“That was fun,” Walker said on the save. “Going out there, throwing strikes, getting outs, felt good. Body felt good and felt refreshed. I knew at the most I had three innings, so I just kind of went out there, attacked, and was a  little more aggressive than usual. I felt like I could empty the tank out a little bit more.”

Walker’s comments reflect the kind of selfless approach this team must embrace to achieve its goals. The NL is stacked this season, with several teams having Pennant-or-bust expectations. It’s a long road to October, but Thomson is already making the necessary adjustments that should help this franchise in the long run. 

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