Buehler, Phils hope to bring out best in each other when it matters most

PHILADELPHIA -- Walker Buehler had one goal in mind when he chose to sign with the Phillies: Win the World Series.

"That's what I'm here for," Buehler said Thursday afternoon on the eve of his team debut.

Signed to a Minor League deal on Aug. 31, Buehler will take the mound Friday night in the club’s series opener against the Royals at Citizens Bank Park. The 31-year-old righty is hoping a new chapter will help him turn around an otherwise forgettable season.

Coming off an up-and-down 2024 campaign that culminated in recording the final out of the Dodgers' World Series victory, Buehler signed a one-year, $21.05 million deal with the Red Sox last offseason. He struggled to a 5.45 ERA over 23 appearances (22 starts) before being released on Aug. 29.

"Obviously, it didn't work out in Boston, and I'm super excited to be here," Buehler said. "We had some conversations in the offseason about me potentially coming here and it didn't finish the way we all kind of wanted it to, but this is a place I've always had a lot of respect for."

A two-time World Series champion with the Dodgers, Buehler fully believes the Phillies have what it takes to bring home their first title since 2008.

"The talent is immense. The culture is really good. I think you have a lot of guys pulling on the same string," Buehler said. " ... I think we have a lot of guys on this team that are very comfortable with their career and their role in terms of, 'Whatever I need to do to help us win one, I will do,' which isn't always the case. Not every team is like that.

"But, you know, I think all in all, talent is one of the biggest factors in who wins at the end, and I think this team here is certainly talented enough."

The Phillies aren't expecting Buehler to suddenly recapture the magic of his 2021 season when he went 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA. But they are hopeful he can unlock something down the stretch to potentially contribute to a postseason run -- similar to what he did last year in Los Angeles.

After posting a 5.38 ERA during the 2024 regular season, Buehler threw five scoreless innings in Game 3 of the World Series against the Yankees. He then recorded the title-clinching out by pitching a scoreless ninth inning out of the bullpen in Game 5 for the save.

"He's done it before," said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. "So, hopefully, he can do it again."

Overall, Buehler has a 3.04 ERA in 19 career playoff appearances. He's been particularly dominant in the World Series, where he has a 0.47 ERA in four outings (three starts).

"We have to get there first and he has to be pitching well," Thomson said. "But the fact he does like the spotlight and it doesn't bother him and he's been there before, that's a bonus."

As Thomson noted, Buehler first has to pitch his way onto the postseason roster over the next few weeks. The Phillies are confident that's at least a possibility; otherwise, they wouldn't have made such a strong push to sign him.

Within a day of Buehler being released by the Red Sox, he found himself on a phone call with a strong Phillies contingent that included Thomson, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and pitching coach Caleb Cotham, among others.

"I think that was huge," Buehler said. "A lot of times, [that] process is done over the phone between an agent and one guy in the organization. So for us to have a phone call at all, and for all those guys to take time out of their day to be on it, that was huge."

Regardless of how Buehler performs over the next three weeks, his presence alone provides a huge benefit by allowing the Phillies to go with a six-man rotation down the stretch. The extra rest should help the likes of Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Aaron Nola, Jesús Luzardo and Taijuan Walker -- each of whom has either handled a heavy workload or dealt with injuries this season.

But the Phillies could have simply promoted someone from Triple-A Lehigh Valley if the six-man rotation was all they wanted. They made that phone call because they believe Buehler can help them win the World Series.

Buehler answered that call because he already believed the Phillies could win it.

"At the end of the day, I think this team is talented enough to do it whether I'm good or bad," Buehler said. " ... However much I can contribute, I will."