In a surprising move, the Philadelphia Phillies have decided to shift struggling starting pitcher Taijuan Walker to the bullpen for the rest of the 2024 season. This decision comes as the team tries to avoid eating a significant amount of dead money by releasing Walker, who has not lived up to expectations since signing a four-year, $72 million deal.

With less than stellar performances and the likelihood of not having a role in the upcoming postseason, the Phillies have chosen to hide Walker in the bullpen, with hopes of a potential return to the rotation in 2025. Manager Rob Thomson expressed the team's belief that a full offseason dedicated to a velocity-focused program can bring about improvement in Walker's performance.

This decision raises questions about the short- and long-term implications of Walker's place on the roster. To fill the void in the rotation, the Phillies will be summoning Tyler Phillips from the minors to start Tuesday's game against Toronto. Phillips will have the opportunity for two starts, and if he does not perform well, the team may consider bringing back Kolby Allard, who is ineligible to return until September 10 due to being demoted earlier in the week.

As for Walker, his role in the bullpen will be limited to lopsided games during the month of September. The Phillies plan to add a 14th pitcher to the roster on Sunday when rosters expand, using that spot to carry Walker. Despite his struggles, the organization remains optimistic about his potential to regain his form as a capable innings-eater in the future.

In terms of the Phillies' pitching plans for the 2025 season, the team intends to maintain the same rotation as this year, consisting of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez, and Cristopher Sánchez. They are also hopeful that the highly-regarded pitching prospect, Andrew Painter, who is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, can contribute at the major league level next year.

However, there has been a setback in Painter's throwing program due to general soreness and an illness. Despite this setback, Painter is expected to resume his throwing program and face hitters in a simulated setting later this year. If Painter is ready for the 2025 season, he will have reduced innings workload, which could potentially allow Walker to serve as his "caddy".

Walker's performance this season has been far from satisfactory, with a disappointing 6.50 ERA in 14 starts. In his most recent outing, he went without a strikeout, and his pitches lacked movement, resulting in a 10-0 loss to the Houston Astros. Although the Phillies have praised Walker's work between starts, it has not translated into success during games.

The decision to move Walker to the bullpen reflects a lack of trust between the player and the team since he was deemed unworthy of a postseason start in 2023. Walker struggled to regain fastball life throughout this season, diminishing the effectiveness of his splitter pitch.

Cutting ties with Walker would have been an expensive option for the Phillies, as they would have owed him approximately $39 million. This decision to keep him in the bullpen demonstrates that the Phillies still see potential in the 32-year-old pitcher and hope that he can bounce back in the future.

Overall, the move to shift Taijuan Walker to the bullpen for the remainder of the season serves as a temporary solution for the Phillies, allowing them to avoid the financial burden of releasing him while giving him the opportunity to work on his performance and potentially regain his role in the rotation in the future.