Report: Red Sox ink Buehler to 1-year, $21.05M deal
Yet another big-name pitcher is shipping up to Boston.
The Red Sox agreed to a one-year, $21.05-million contract with right-hander Walker Buehler, sources told Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports.
The deal, which is pending a physical, also contains $2.5 million worth of performance bonuses, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Buehler's deal with the Red Sox is for the exact amount his qualifying offer was worth. The Los Angeles Dodgers didn't tender him a qualifying offer in November, meaning he'll be eligible to receive one from Boston next offseason.
The 30-year-old had spent his career with the Dodgers, where he was a two-time All-Star and won a pair of World Series titles. Buehler played a particularly important role in this year's championship, throwing 10 scoreless innings during the NLCS and World Series and recording the series-clinching save in what turned out to be his final appearance as a Dodger.
However, he struggled during the regular season, putting up a career-worst 5.38 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 7.6 K/9 rate across 75 1/3 innings in his return from Tommy John surgery. Buehler missed all of 2023 while rehabbing his elbow injury and spent time on the IL with a hip injury this past year.
In Boston, he'll get the chance to rediscover his old form as part of a newly revamped Red Sox rotation that features plenty of star power. The Red Sox made starting pitching a priority this winter, adding Buehler in free agency, trading for left-hander Garrett Crochet, and signing southpaw Patrick Sandoval to a two-year deal. Sandoval, who's rehabbing from elbow surgery, and right-hander Lucas Giolito are expected to return during the regular season.
| Pitcher | Throws | 2024 fWAR |
|---|---|---|
| Garrett Crochet | LH | 4.7 |
| Tanner Houck | RH | 3.9 |
| Walker Buehler | RH | -0.2 |
| Brayan Bello | RH | 2.0 |
| Kutter Crawford | RH | 1.9 |
Buehler owns a lifetime 3.27 ERA, 3.50 FIP, and 1.09 WHIP with 754 strikeouts and a 9.5 K/9 rate across 131 appearances (122 starts) with the Dodgers. He finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2021, when he placed third in the NL in ERA and posted an MLB-best 171 ERA+.
The Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves were among several teams that reportedly had interest in Buehler this offseason.