Exactly — Johnson’s own comments really show he’s embracing the move. He recognizes that without a reliable third pitch, staying a starter would have been a tougher road. His fastball-slider mix sounds like it’s already built for a bullpen role, where pitchers can thrive with just two dominant pitches, especially throwing at maximum effort in shorter bursts.
The Phillies clearly see an opportunity here: their rotation is strong and deep, but the bullpen has been a real soft spot early this season. Johnson gives them a fresh arm with upside — and since he’s already used to pitching mainly fastball-slider after his Tommy John recovery, he won’t need to overhaul his approach much to fit into a late-inning or middle-relief role.
This transition could fast-track his MLB debut too — Philly’s bullpen could use some help sooner rather than later.
Would you like me to sketch out how Johnson’s path to the majors might look now versus if he had stayed a starter?
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