Walker Buehler signs one-year deal with Red Sox

Walker Buehler signs one-year deal with Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have signed free-agent starter Walker Buehler to a one-year, $21.05 million deal, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan and Yahoo Sports’ Russell Dorsey were among the first to report Monday morning.

The Boston Red Sox continue to add to their rotation; they traded for left-handed starter Garrett Crochet earlier this month and signed left-handed starter Patrick Sandoval, who will spend 2025 recovering from Tommy John Surgery, last week.

This deal is similar to what the one-year qualifying offer ($21.1M) would like for a starting pitcher. Buehler’s last three seasons have been hampered by injury, but he has a higher upside than right-hander Nick Pivetta–who Boston extended the QO for–so it’s a reasonable trade-off.

Buehler has made just 28 starts since the start of 2022, sporting a 4.75 combined ERA (83 ERA+) with a 4.74 FIP, 1.43 WHIP and 122 strikeouts (to 45 walks) in 140.1 innings. He was considered one of the best ascending arms in the National League up until his injury, posting the 3rd best ERA and fifth-best FIP in the NL amongst qualified starters from 2018-21.

Boston may not be spending exactly the way that some fans want, but Buehler and Crochet are two very good upgrades to the rotation. Buying low on Buehler at this stage of his career is smart; conventional wisdom would suggest that he still has plenty left to offer, even if last year’s numbers were pretty uninspiring.

Now the Red Sox will have to turn their attention by addressing the lineup and securing at least one power-right-handed bat.

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This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.

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