The Red Sox acquired the best pitcher available in the trade market this offseason, and they also brought on one of the better starters in free agency.
Less than two weeks after Boston finalized its deal for Garrett Crochet, the club reportedly agreed on a one-year contract with Walker Buehler. Last season marked Buehler’s return from a second Tommy John surgery, but he closed out the campaign with an outstanding playoff run that concluded with a Los Angeles Dodgers World Series title.
Buehler pitching lights out in the National League Championship Series and the Fall Classic likely bolstered his free-agent market. And shortly after breaking the news of the Red Sox-Buehler pact, Yahoo Sports’ Russell Dorsey revealed another team that was looking at the two-time All-Star.
“After Sean Manaea goes back to the New York Mets — they were a team that was interested in Walker Buehler,” Dorsey said on MLB Network on Monday. “Walker Buehler gets a one-year, $21.05 million deal from the Boston Red Sox. He now becomes the veteran in a very young rotation.”
The Mets reportedly signed Manaea to a three-year, $75 million, but the deal includes a 10-year deferral plan. Softening the blow of an expensive contract certainly made sense for New York after signing Juan Soto to a monstrous contract that doesn’t include any deferrals.
As for Buehler, a short-term deal made more sense after an up-and-down run in 2024. And if he thrives with the Red Sox, he’ll be set up to cash in next year.
