In what can only be called a stunning surprise roster move after they signed him to a one-year, $21.05 million contract in December, the Boston Red Sox on Friday cut ties with 31-year-old Walker Buelher, who the team had figured to be a key member their starting rotation â possibly even their No. 2 starter behind ace Garrett Crochet.
Buehler’s season didn’t work out that way.
Now, at least one commentator has raised the possibility that Buehler could sign for the remainder of the season with the Red Sox’ bitter arch-rival, the New York Yankees.
Buehler Showed Flashes of Old Self in 2025
In his 23 starts with the Red Sox this season, Buehler showed occasional flashes of the grittiness he often displayed with the Los Angeles Dodgers â who selected the righty out of Vanderbilt with the 24th pick in the 2015 MLB draft â most recently in an August 8 outing against the San Diego Padres when Buehler threw six shutout innings on four hits and two walks in a game won by Boston 10-2.
But the 31-year-old had trouble stringing quality starts together.
Since his successful outing in San Diego, Buelher allowed six runs in 10 innings across two starts before being demoted to the bullpen last week.
In one relief appearance, coming against the New York Yankees last Sunday, the former Dodger coughed up a pair of runs on two hits including a homer in just 2 1/3 innings, on the way to the Red Sox’ lone loss of their just-completed eight-game road trip.
Buehler Cut to Make Room For Rookie Sensation
According to Boston Globe longtime Red Sox beat reporter Peter Abraham, the release of Buehler was the corresponding move to open a roster spot for the organization’s top pitching prospect Payton Tolle, who completes a meteoric rise through the Boston farm system Friday when he makes his Major League debut against National League Cy Young favorite Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
As surprising as Buehler’s sudden release may have been, it would be an even bigger surprise if the career 54-game winner â against just 29 losses â did not quickly catch on with another team.
If he is signed prior to Monday, Buehler would remain eligible for the postseason roster on any team that picks him up. That new team would be responsible for paying Beuhler the remaining guaranteed money on his contract with the Red Sox, approximately $3.5 million.
Yankees Encouraged to Sign Buehler
Gary Sheffield Jr. â the son of career 509-home run hitter Gary Sheffield who played for the Dodgers, New York Yankees and six other teams before his retirement after the 2009 season â wrote shortly after the Buehler release was announced, that the Yankees should sign the eight-year veteran.
“The Yankees should sign Walker Buehler as a multi-inning arm out the pen. Protect your one-inning guys the remaining 28 games this season,” Sheffield Jr. wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Signing with the Yankees would certainly be a strange twist of fate for Buehler. Just last season with the Dodgers, after struggling through a 1-6, 5.38 ERA campaign as he tried to come back from his second Tommy John surgery, Buehler came on in relief to close out Game Five of the World Series against those same Yankees.
Buehler nailed down the win, striking out outfielder Alex Verdugo to end the game and give the Dodgers their first World Series championship in a full season since 1988 and the eighth in their history.
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