Report: Recently Released Red Sox Veteran Signs With NL Team
He signed just in time to maintain playoff eligibility
Walker Buehler didn’t take long to land with a new contender.
The Philadelphia Phillies signed Walker Buehler to a deal pending a physical, per The Athletic’s Matt Gelb and multiple reports. By joining the team before September, the veteran starting pitcher is eligible to compete in the postseason.
The news comes two days after the Boston Red Sox released Buehler, who signed a one-year, $21.05 million deal over the offseason. The two-time All-Star posted a 5.45 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 112 1/3 innings.
Boston moved Buehler to the bullpen amid his struggles as a starter, but the 31-year-old didn’t receive much time in the new role. He made one appearance as a reliever, allowing two runs over 2 1/3 innings in last Sunday’s loss to the New York Yankees.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow called it a “really tough decision” to release Buehler. The move coincided with them adding Payton Tolle to the 40-man roster ahead of Friday’s MLB debut.
“Our hope and our expectation was we were gonna be able to provide enough runway to give him a chance to settle in and transition into that role and contribute down the stretch and get some meaningful outs for us,” Breslow said. “But circumstances changed.”
It’s not surprising to see Buehler receive a second chance. The former ace registered a 3.27 ERA in seven seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, finishing fourth in the 2021 National League Cy Young Award voting with a 2.47 ERA in 33 starts.
Although the Phillies lost Zack Wheeler for the season due to venous thoracic outlet syndrome, they still have a set rotation of Christopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker. As a result, Buehler will likely pitch in Philadelphia’s bullpen.
Buehler has previously succeeded in that spot, pitching the final outs of last year’s World Series triumph for the Dodgers. He joins a Phillies squad that leads the New York Mets by 6.5 games atop the NL East ahead of a “Sunday Night Baseball” clash against the Atlanta Braves.
