The Philadelphia Phillies are in urgent need of bullpen reinforcements, particularly after Jose Alvarado’s suspension. While Jordan Romano is starting to show flashes of the form that earned him his offseason deal, and Matt Strahm has generally been reliable, Alvarado’s absence is still being deeply felt.
Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer didn’t mince words, criticizing Alvarado’s PED use as a selfish and reckless act. “In today’s era of widespread information, using performance-enhancing drugs is nothing short of a selfish choice,” Hayes wrote. “His actions left the Phillies without their unofficial closer—though the team avoids that title—and jeopardized what could be a historic season for a $296 million, luxury-tax-paying roster.”
In the meantime, the Phillies are also trying to figure out what to do with Taijuan Walker, whose $72 million contract has yielded disappointing results since 2023. With his role now reduced, Hayes suggests that Walker might actually help out of the bullpen in Alvarado’s absence.
“The plan was to use Walker in medium-leverage spots, possibly as a long reliever or for the occasional spot start,” Hayes noted. “Now, with their top bullpen arm banned from even entering the stadium, and with few reliable alternatives, manager Rob Thomson is hoping he can turn a questionable investment into a useful asset.”
Thomson, speaking to reporters Thursday, said he’s intrigued by the possibility. “I’m kind of excited to see him come out of the bullpen, just to see if the stuff plays up,” he said. “That outing in Tampa was incredible, and even in his second time out, he looked solid early on.”
Let’s face it: the Phillies don’t have much to lose by testing Walker in a relief role. It’s a classic low-risk, high-reward scenario. If it works, they salvage some value from his contract. If not, it might finally be time to move on. For now, turning lemons into lemonade might be the team’s best bet as the trade deadline approaches.
