The Boston Red Sox apparently weren't content with their rotation after adding Garrett Crochet earlier this month.
According to multiple reports, Walker Buehler is joining the team on a one-year contract worth $21.05 million.
Breaking: Right-hander Walker Buehler and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a one-year, $21.05 million deal which includes incentives, sources tell @YahooSports. The two-time World Series champion with the Dodgers now becomes the veteran arm in Boston’s new-look rotation.
— Russell Dorsey (@Russ_Dorsey1) December 23, 2024
Buehler is coming off a difficult 2024 season, one in which he accrued a 5.38 ERA (5.54 FIP) in just 75 1/3 innings. He missed a majority of the season while recovering from both Tommy John surgery (which cost him the entirety of 2023) and a right hip injury. His durability issues are a concern, though he did complete 180+ innings and finish in the top-10 in NL Cy Young voting in each of his last two healthy seasons (2019, 2021).
Despite his regular season struggles, Buehler was tremendous for the Dodgers when it mattered most last season, pitching ten scoreless innings between the NLCS and World Series as the team marched its way to a title. He struck out former Dodger Alex Verdugo in the ninth inning of Game 5 to seal the victory.
WALKER BUEHLER CLOSES IT OUT! #CHAMPS pic.twitter.com/1S2242udt6
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 31, 2024
Buehler's contract is exactly equivalent to the qualifying offer from this year, reigniting conversations about baseball's failed facsimile of the franchise tag. He did not receive one from the Dodgers, meaning the Red Sox will not have to forfeit a draft pick next season.
Buehler's contract likely pushes Pivetta reunion out the door
Buehler's contract does include small performance bonuses that can take the deal above $23 million, but all told, he appears to be the one-for-one replacement for Nick Pivetta in Boston
Pivetta received a qualifying offer but surprisingly declined it, and his market has been relatively quiet thus far in the offseason. With Buehler and Crochet in tow, the Red Sox will likely pass on re-signing Pivetta, meaning his market could take a big hit now that he's attached to draft pick compensation.
Pivetta, like Buehler, doesn't wow on the surface, with a career 4.76 ERA (4.14 in 2024). However, his strikeout-to-walk ratio has been outstanding. In 2024, he struck out 172 batters and walked only 38. As you might expect, Pivetta ranked in the 88th percentile in strikeout rate (28.9%) this past season, while his 6.1% walk rate was in the 80th percentile.
Buehler's peripherals weren't as pretty, as his strikeout (18.6%) and walk rates (8.1%) were both well-below their career norms. Still, his postseason experience is exceptionally valuable for a Red Sox rotation that has practically none of it.
Boston continues to add pitching with fervor this offseason, and it's likely they're not quite done just yet. Their bullpen still has some needs even with Aroldis Chapman joining the relief crew, and there's plenty of quality starters still available via free agency, should the Red Sox wish to continue flexing their financial muscles.