The starting pitching market is moving.
Less than 12 hours after the Mets re-signed Sean Manaea to a three-year, $75 million contract, the Boston Red Sox picked up World Series champion Walker Buehler to a one-year, $21.05 million deal, according to Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports.
The lifetime Dodger is coming off a down year after returning from Tommy John surgery. He finished the 2024 campaign with a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts and went 1-6. He allowed 16 home runs, 89 hits, 28 walks and struck out 64 batters through 75 ⅓ innings pitched. Buehler has a career 3.27 ERA, is a two-time All-Star, finished in the top ten in Cy Young voting twice, and finished third in NL ROY voting in 2018. He missed all of 2023 and most of 2022 with a UCL tear but showed flashes of his former self in the 2024 playoffs. The 30-year-old appeared in four games for the Dodgers, starting three and finished with a 3.60 ERA. He struck out 13 batters and allowed only five walks and one home run in 15 innings pitched during October.
Buehler did not receive a qualifying offer from the Dodgers and instead essentially receives one in the same amount from Boston. The deal is pending physical and includes an additional $2.5 million in performance bonuses according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
The Mets were rumored to have been in on Buehler to bolster their rotation before the Manaea signing. It’s unclear if they are done looking at their rotation or if they will continue to seek out similar players like Buehler, along with coveted Japanese free agent Rōki Sasaki. Heading into 2025, the Mets rotation consists of Manaea, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas. Tylor Megill, Paul Blackburn and Griffin Canning remain as depth options.
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