The Purple Sox are recognized to be on the lookout for beginning pitching, with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow having stated that he needs to “elevate the ceiling” within the rotation. They’ve been linked to marquee free brokers like Corbin Burnes and Max Fried in addition to notable commerce candidates like Garrett Crochet, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo. Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe experiences that Walker Buehler is one other free agent they’ve curiosity in.
Whether or not Buehler would rely as elevating the ceiling could be a matter of debate at this level, because it’s been a couple of years since he was at his finest over a significant stretch of time. From 2018 to 2021, he tossed 564 innings for the Dodgers, permitting 2.82 earned runs per 9. He mixed a 27.7% strikeout charge with a 6.1% stroll charge and 44.7% floor ball charge. He additionally posted good leads to 15 postseason begins for the Dodgers in that point.
However in 2022, he had an ERA of 4.02 earlier than requiring Tommy John surgical procedure, the second of his profession. He missed the complete 2023 marketing campaign and didn’t instantly bounce again this 12 months. He solely made 16 begins in 2024 and had tough outcomes, most prominently a 5.38 ERA. His 18.6% strikeout charge was beneath league common and in addition removed from his earlier kind.
He did end issues on a constructive be aware, in a really small pattern however on a really massive stage. After getting lit up by the Padres within the NLDS, he went on to throw ten shutout innings over his ultimate three appearances of the Dodgers’ World Sequence run. That included 4 shutty towards the Mets within the NLCS, a five-inning begin towards the Yankees within the third sport of the World Sequence, adopted by the ultimate three outs in sport 5.
Going into 2025, Buehler is an attention-grabbing threat/reward play. His earlier upside is tantalizing however he’s been harm or middling for the previous few years. He did have that sturdy end within the playoffs however most trendy entrance places of work received’t be swayed by such a small pattern, even it was beneath the brightest lights in baseball.
That uncertainty signifies that Buehler might doubtless be had for a comparatively low worth, which might both flip right into a cut price or a waste. The Dodgers declined to challenge Buehler a $21.05MM qualifying supply at season’s finish, evidently not valuing him price that worth level. Firstly of the winter, MLBTR predicted Buehler for a one-year cope with a $15MM, although the marketplace for pitching has been stronger than anticipated, with mid-rotation or back-end guys like Luis Severino, Yusei Kikuchi, Frankie Montas, Matthew Boyd and Clay Holmes outearning their projections thus far.
Regardless of the current outcomes, Buehler has confirmed to be fairly in style this winter, having already drawn the curiosity of Atlanta, the A’s, Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Tigers and now Purple Sox. For Boston, they tried a buy-low transfer final 12 months which hasn’t labored out thus far. After a couple of tough years, they gave Lucas Giolito a reasonably modest $38.5MM assure on a two-year deal however elbow surgical procedure worn out his 2024 season.
The damage is just not actually the fault of the Boston entrance workplace however Giolito was a dangerous alternative even earlier than that and it was usually anticipated they’d goal extra surefire rotation upgrades this time round. The membership’s choice makers have talked about being aggressive this winter and placing collectively a membership able to successful the division, even when meaning paying the aggressive steadiness tax.
RosterResource pegs the membership’s CBT quantity at $181MM proper now, about $60MM shy of the $241MM base threshold. Meaning they’ve loads of room to go after high free brokers like Burnes and Fried, however they’re additionally a minimum of contemplating a extra modest strike for somebody like Buehler, or maybe a mixture of the 2.
The rotation at present initiatives to incorporate Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford and Brayan Bello, with openings on the again. Giolito shall be anticipated again in some unspecified time in the future, although doubtless not at first of the season. Guys like Richard Fitts, Cooper Criswell and Quinn Priester are on the roster however pretty unestablished and nonetheless optionable. Alongside Buehler, the Sox might take into account different mid-rotation or back-end free brokers corresponding to Sean Manaea, Nathan Eovaldi, Jeff Hoffman, Nick Pivetta, Andrew Heaney, Jose Quintana, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and others.
