Red Sox Could Sign Dodgers 'Top-Of-The-Rotation Starter' Seeking One-Year Deal

Boston's pitching staff is still far from a finished product

Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

The Boston Red Sox cannot enter 2025 with the same starting rotation from this season.

If Boston has contention aspirations, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow must add at least one or two starters to the staff who end up providing quality outings consistently.

Breslow is presumably prepared to offer an ace-level pitcher top dollar on the free agent market. After that, however, Breslow will also need to hit on a cheaper acquisition to the staff who is flying under the radar.

A pitcher Breslow should strongly consider is Walker Buehler of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Buehler has an injury history, no doubt, but the potential to return to his 2021 form is there, and it wouldn’t be expensive for Boston to take a flyer on Buehler for a one-year experiment.

On Wednesday, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter talked about Buehler as the Dodgers’ biggest offseason decision, implying that Buehler could become available.

“When healthy, Walker Buehler has been a top-of-the-rotation starter for the Dodgers, finishing in the Top 10 in NL Cy Young voting in 2019 and 2021 while also starring during the team's World Series title run in 2020,” Reuter said.

“However, he is not entering free agency on the best terms.”

“The 30-year-old missed the entire 2023 season recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, and he's been hit hard in his return to action this year, struggling to a 6.02 ERA and 1.59 WHIP while serving up a .299/.360/.551 line to opposing hitters.”

“He will hit the open market as an intriguing buy-low candidate, likely seeking a one-year deal to rebuild his value.”

Buehler isn’t going to save Boston’s rotation, but taking a chance on him would be a worthwhile risk, especially if Breslow secures another bona fide starter.

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