Why Dodgers' $32 Million World Series Hero Is Sneaky Good Fit For Red Sox

Could this be a match made in heaven?

Oct 30, 2024; New York, USA, LAD; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler (21) celebrates after the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in game five to win the 2024 Imagn Images World Series at New York. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox are hot on the trail of starting pitching this winter, and it's anyone's guess at this point who they might have a shot at signing.

After an 81-81 season, the Red Sox are saying all the right things this winter. They believe they have a shot at winning an American League East title in 2025, and they're talking as if they're going to spend money like the Red Sox of old again to make that dream come true.

Starting pitching can be difficult to sign for a number of reasons, and the Red Sox haven't handed out a nine-figure contract to a starting pitcher since Chris Sale's 2019 extension. Regardless of whether or not they land one of the big fish, Boston needs to chase some of the middle-market starters as well.

And among the pitchers who don't expect to make nine figures, there is no better fit for Boston than the Los Angeles Dodgers' Walker Buehler. Buehler, who was recently projected to get a two-year, $32 million contract, was one of NESN's Tim Crowley's top free-agent pitching fits for the Red Sox in a recent article.

"Buehler would depart from Los Angeles with a pair of championship rings and a history of performing in the brightest lights (including a brilliant World Series start against the Red Sox in 2018)," Crowley said.

"Buehler too is recently off of Tommy John surgery and turned 30 years old in July. That being said, the right-hander can offer top-of-the-rotation stuff. It’s not 100 mph like it used to be, but Buehler still attacks with his fastball and offers a challenge to capable lineups."

Buehler had a dreadful regular season in his return from Tommy John, posting a 5.38 ERA and 1-5 record in 14 outings. But he was lights out in his final three outings, all on the biggest stage in baseball. Plus, not only was his stuff back to being electric, but it had Red Sox written all over it.

It's not as though Buehler can't throw his four-seam fastball anymore, but his other pitches have become far more effective. His sweeper was untouchable in the postseason, and he also began favoring a cutter that got him tons of weak contact against anxious hitters.

That new pitch mix is a dream fit for pitching coach Andrew Bailey and the Red Sox's new pitching infrastructure, which also seems to be committed to helping older pitchers find their velocity again this winter. Buehler wouldn't just revive his career in Boston--he'd get back to being an ace.

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