PHILADELPHIA— A day before Walker Buehler makes his Philadelphia Phillies debut, the former World Series champion spoke with the media.
The Phillies signed Buehler on August 31 after being designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox. After spending the beginning of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the veteran signed a one-year deal with Boston this past offseason.
He was unable to find his way again with the Sox, who felt that even in a playoff push, it was worth moving on. That opened the door for several teams to welcome Buehler to their roster. With playoff experience and a healthy arm, he was worth the gamble for several teams.
“The talent is immense. The culture is really good. I think you have a lot of guys pulling on the same string. And, you know, in my experience, it's a big part of it. I think culture is good part of it. I think you have a lot of guys on this team that are very comfortable with their career and their goal in terms of whatever I need to do to help us win one two, which isn't always the case. Not every team is like that. But I think all in all, talent is one of the biggest factors in who wins at the end.”
Buehler mentioned that Dave Dombrowski, Rob Thomson, and pitching coach Caleb Cotham were all on the phone call when the two sides met. He came away impressed by the organization’s effort.
“I think that was a big part of it, but also just kind of the the effort of this organization, you have the GM, the manager and the pitching coach, and kind of everybody on that phone call, I think was huge. I think a lot of the times the DFA process is done over the phone between an agent and one guy, and you are great and surprised to have a phone call at all, and for those guys to take time out of their days was huge, you know, kind of a confidence boost for me…”
Buehler heads to Philadelphia
After being picked up by the Phillies, the club sent Buehler to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to get a rehab start under his belt. The veteran went three innings, striking out five, and scattering five hits to a total of two runs (one earned).
When asked how he felt the outing went, he gave an interesting indication towards his feelings on the minor league’s usage of the ABS or automatic ball-strike system.
“It's been a long time since I've punched out more guys than I threw innings. So that was a positive thing. I think the AAA stuff is interesting. Obviously, the ABS and all that that kind of goes along with that. But I felt pretty encouraged. I felt like, in terms of the mechanic stuff that we've been kind of working on, we're able to stand up pretty good, and hopefully, you know, adrenaline and kind of that kind of stuff will take care of the rest…”
When asked point blank if he likes the ABS system, Buehler gave an emphatic “no.”
“I think it's inaccurate. I think most of the stadiums, it's not even actually on the plate. I think it shifts certain directions in certain ball parks. I think the human element is a huge part of this game. I think starting pitchers that have pitched for a long time deserve certain parts of the plate that other guys don't get. When I got to the big leagues, I didn't get every part of the zone that other guy said. And I think said. And I think that's part of our game and should be.
He continued saying ”I think the punishment for challenging something that's clearly a strike is not big enough. I think the ABS system in general is a very good idea. I don't think we have any idea where to put it on the plate. I don't think we have any idea how to function it correctly in terms of the angles and ballparks. I don't think the umpires unions are going to be very happy about it. So there's a lot of negatives.”
World Series mindset
Buehler has pitched in big markets in LA and Boston. He has pitched on the biggest stage and tossed the final pitch of the 2024 World Series. He has the capability of being a game changer for a Phillies team looking to get back to the mountain top. According to the veteran, he thinks the Phillies can win with or without him.
“I think this team is talented enough to do it, whether I'm good or bad, and so I think being a part of a really good organization and a really good team is something that's always been appealing to me. However much I can contribute I will.”
It takes a winner to know one. Buehler knows that the Phillies are capable of winning in large part to the talent the club has.
“The talent is immense. The culture is really good. I think you have a lot of guys pulling on the same string. And, you know, in my experience, it's a big part of it. I think culture is a big part of it. I think you have a lot of guys on this team that are very comfortable with their career and their goal in terms of whatever I need to do to help us win one, I’ll do. Which isn't always the case. Not every team is like that. But I think all in all, talent is one of the biggest factors in who wins at the end.”
Buehler will make his first career start for the Phillies on Friday against the Kansas City Royals. It will be an open try-out for the long-time Dodger. If he can perform, he will have a spot come October.
