Walker Buehler Contract Details: Could Red Sox Keep $21M Star One Extra Season?

The contract the Red Sox signed with their new star pitcher is a little tricky

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler (21) pitches during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When the Boston Red Sox signed free-agent pitcher Walker Buehler earlier this week, it seemed as though all they had done was give him the qualifying offer the Los Angeles Dodgers hadn't.

As it turns out, the contract was a little bit more complicated.

Buehler could still end up having just a one-year stay in Boston when all is said and done. But there's a chance that if things work out in a very specific way, the deal could be prolonged.

According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the initially-reported $21.05 million deal actually contains a $3.05 million signing bonus, $15 million base salary, and a $25 million mutual option for 2026, with a $3 million buyout.

Buehler can also earn up to $2.5 million in additional bonuses, with a $500 thousand bonus kicking in every two starts he makes from start number 20 to 28 on the season. So if he makes 20 starts, he gets $500K; 22 starts, $1 million, and so on.

Cotillo also strongly suggested that the mutual option would not come into effect, and it's true that that rarely comes to fruition in Major League Baseball. Either Buehler will want to pursue a long-term deal if he pitches well, or the Red Sox will want to get out of paying for the second year if he doesn't.

Buehler also hinted earlier this week on social media that he would wear number zero in Boston, which Cotillo confirmed on Sunday. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow is scheduled to address the signing for the first time on Monday.

Will Buehler still be a Red Sox in 2026? It doesn't seem like the new contract updates increase that likelihood, but that doesn't mean it won't happen.

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