Sources: Buehler, Red Sox agree to 1-year deal

Right-hander Walker Buehler and the Boston Red Sox are successful statement connected a one-year, $21.05 cardinal contract, sources told ESPN, sending the pitcher who secured the last retired of the World Series this twelvemonth to a squad loading up connected starting pitching arsenic it pivots toward contention.

The deal, first reported by Yahoo Sports, includes an further $2.5 cardinal successful capacity bonuses, sources said.

The 30-year-old Buehler, a two-time All-Star who from 2018-21 was among the game's champion starters, was 1 of the astir fascinating free agents this winter. After undergoing a 2nd Tommy John room successful 2022, Buehler returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers and allowed a 5.38 ERA successful 16 starts.

He remained successful the Dodgers' postseason rotation and reinforced his antecedently established big-game bona fides, throwing 4 shutout innings successful a National League Championship Series win, 5 much shutout innings successful a World Series triumph and past returning connected 1 day's remainder to fastener down Los Angeles' title successful the ninth inning of a chaotic Game 5 against the New York Yankees.

Boston hopes Buehler tin beryllium each spot arsenic bully this October. The Red Sox, who scored the ninth-most runs successful shot past twelvemonth and person the 3 champion hitting prospects successful the crippled successful outfielder Roman Anthony, infielder/outfielder Kristian Campbell and shortstop Marcelo Mayer, went into this wintertime seeking pitching. And though the style of it materialized slowly, the Red Sox person managed to adhd high-upside pitching astatine a debased financial cost.

A blockbuster waste and acquisition landed them left-hander Garrett Crochet, who projects to beryllium the Red Sox's Opening Day starter for the adjacent 2 years astatine debased arbitration salaries. And they paid $18.25 cardinal for 2 years of left-hander Patrick Sandoval, who is expected to return from Tommy John room astir August.

Buehler carved a estimation arsenic the champion benignant of bully connected the mound - 1 who backs up elite worldly pinch beingness and cognition to match. With a four-seam fastball that sat astatine 96-97 mph and was regularly painted the 4 corners of the onslaught zone, Buehler could triumph games pinch his heater alone. He besides happened to propulsion a cutter, curveball, slider, changeup and sinker, flummoxing hitters connected the regular.

His champion twelvemonth came successful 2021, a play aft he helped lead the Dodgers to their first World Series title since 1988. Buehler went 16-4 pinch a 2.47 ERA successful 207.2 innings, striking retired 212 and stepping 52. He vanished 4th successful a tightly contested NL Cy Young voting.

Elbow injuries sidelined Buehler for a chunk of 2022 earlier he underwent a Tommy John revision pinch a flexor repair. Players coming backmost from a 2nd elbow reconstruction - Buehler had his first successful 2015, correct aft the Dodgers chose him pinch the 24th wide prime - activity connected longer timetables than the emblematic Tommy John return. Buehler missed each of 2023 and returned successful May of this twelvemonth without his astir explosive stuff. Before going connected the injured database successful June pinch correct hep inflammation, he had struck retired conscionable 31 successful 37 innings

When he returned successful August, Buehler didn't fare immoderate better. Injuries to the Dodgers' rotation reinforced that he was a captious portion of their October plans. Over his career, he had put up a 2.94 ERA and struck retired 101 successful 79.2 potseason innings. His capacity successful the 2024 playoffs looked acold person to vintage Buehler than he antecedently had shown, and his willingness to return a one-year woody alternatively than prosecute a multiyear pact suggests Buehler likewise believes the postseason was simply a preview of what's to come.

If Boston tin get the champion versions of Crochet and Buehler, arsenic good arsenic a patient return from Sandoval, their pitching extent will beryllium a chopped strength. The Red Sox besides return right-handers Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Lucas Giolito, the second of whom is besides coming backmost from Tommy John surgery.