Red Sox add another dynamic starter to the rotation
The Boston Red Sox have once again bolstered their starting rotation for 2025.
As first reported by MLB insider Russell Dorsey on Monday, the Red Sox have agreed to a deal with former Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler for one year and $21.05 million. Buehler, 29, is coming off an excellent World Series performance for Los Angeles, totaling six shutout innings with seven strikeouts, one win, and a save to close out the series.
Buehler did struggle in the 2024 regular season for the Dodgers, posting a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts. He missed much of the 2022 campaign and all of 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career. He previously underwent the surgery in 2019. As a result, Buehler has averaged only 102 innings per season in his career.
Prior to 2022, the right-hander was one of the most dynamic starters in baseball. He posted a 2.82 ERA with 620 strikeouts in 564 innings from 2018-21. According to FanGraphs data, Buehler still averages 95 mph on his fastball. He has a deep arsenal that also includes a knuckle curve, cutter, and sinker.
Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey will probably enjoy himself working with Buehler on those breaking pitches, but it’s a good sign that he can still hit the mid-90s with his heat, despite his injury history. The No. 1 question for Buehler, by far, will be whether he can simply stay healthy.
Buehler joins a remade Red Sox rotation that also includes trade addition Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, and Lucas Giolito. Kutter Crawford is projected as one of the next men up in the event of injuries.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
