Red Sox reportedly sign Walker Buehler to 1-year contract
BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox have added another veteran arm to their rotation, reportedly signing two-time World Series champion Walker Buehler to a one-year contract.
The pact is for $21.095 million and incentives, and was first reported by Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports. The deal is still pending a physical.
Buehler had a down year for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 after missing nearly two seasons because of Tommy John Surgery, but is a talented righty for the front of the rotation if healthy. The 30-year-old has a 47-22 record and 3.38 ERA for his seven MLB seasons, spent entirely with the Dodgers.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Buehler has made two All-Star teams and owns a pair of World Series rings, and will fill an important role as a veteran starter on a Boston staff that also includes Garret Crochet, Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Lucas Giolito. Cooper Criswell, Richard Fitts, and Patrick Sandoval (who isn't expected back until the second half of the season) are also in the mix, giving the Red Sox some pretty solid depth in the rotation heading into the 2025 season.
Who is Walker Buehler?
The righty made his MLB debut for the Dodgers in 2017, and finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting after going 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA in 2018. That postseason, he threw seven scoreless innings against the Red Sox in Game 3 of the World Series, which the Dodgers won 3-2 in 18 innings for their only win of the series.
Buehler racked up a lot of strikeouts in 2019, fanning 215 batters over just 182.1 innings of work. He earned his first All-Star nod that year and finished the season 14-4 with a 3.26 ERA.
Buehler made eight regular-season starts during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, and then went 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA over five playoff starts as Los Angeles marched to a World Series title. He tossed six shutout innings against the Atlanta Braves in Game 6 of the NLCS to force a Game 7, and then struck out 10 over six innings of one-run ball against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the Fall Classic.
He made his second All-Star team in 2021 and finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting after going 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA and 0.968 WHIP over 33 starts. He struck out 212 over 207.2 innings that season.
Buehler was L.A.'s Opening Day starter in 2022, but he made just 12 starts and was 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA when he underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurts from his elbow in June. He eventually had his second Tommy John surgery in August (his first game in 2015) and ended up missing the entire 2023 season.
Buehler was back on the mound in 2024, but he struggled in his return. Over 16 starts, Buehler went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA and 1.553 WHIP. He was rocked for six runs over five innings by the Padres in his first postseason start, but then redeemed himself the rest of the way. Buehler tossed 10 shutout innings over his next three playoff appearances, including five innings of shutout ball in Game 3 of the World Series against the Yankees. He was credited with the save in Los Angeles' series-clinching Game 5 victory at Yankee Stadium.
For his postseason career, Buehler owns a 4-4 record to go with a 3.04 ERA and 1.151 WHIP.
Buehler's contract with Red Sox
Buehler's deal has an additional $2.5 million in performance bonuses, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
While Buehler is another starter coming off a down season with a history of injury, the signing has some serious upside for the Red Sox. The 30-year-old gives Boston a starter with postseason experience (and rings), which the staff was short on before the signing.
If Buehler returns to form, Boston will have an incredibly stacked rotation in 2025 as the team looks to end a three-year postseason draught.
