Red Sox Showing Interest in Walker Buehler

[Matthew Lenz]

Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe ($$) is reporting that the Red Sox are interested in right-handed starting pitcher Walker Buehler. He's another name of the laundry list of pitchers who have been tied to the team, including Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Blake Snell (before he was signed). That doesn't include trade candidates such as Garrett Crochet, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo.

What makes this report surprising is that Buehler, a former top prospect, is coming off an abysmal 2024 season upon his return from Tommy John surgery. The surgery forced him to miss the better part of two seasons and upon his return he posted a 5.38 ERA / 5.54 FIP with a lowly 10.5% K-BB rate.

Previously, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow had spoken of raising the ceiling to compete for the AL East and to make a deep playoff run, yet Buehler is more of a high-risk bounce back arm. While there is upside to bet on with Buehler, it's just not the type of move I'd expect the Red Sox to make given the previous statements made by Breslow.

Earlier this offseason, MLB Trade Rumors predicted the 30-year-old to get a one year deal worth $15 million. Would you want the Red Sox to sign him for that number? Or at all?

View full rumor

[mvp 78]

Where Buehler shined was his last 10 innings in the postseason. He had a 0.00 ERA (2.07 FIP) in 3 games. Dodgers thought he wouldn't be 100% until August, maybe it took longer? Maybe it's just SSS? 

[Bellhorn04]

We are the Interest Kings,  and it's going to be hard for any team to take that crown from us without a fight!

[mvp 78]

27 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

We are the Interest Kings,  and it's going to be hard for any team to take that crown from us without a fight!

Per MLB Trade Rumors so far: 

Soto

Adames

Bregman

Snell

Burnes 

Fried

Santander

Buehler

Teoscar

Eovaldi

Crochet

Mariners Staff - Various

Very INTERESTing offseason for the Red Sox. 

 

[Bellhorn04]

6 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Per MLB Trade Rumors so far: 

Soto

Adames

Bregman

Snell

Burnes 

Fried

Santander

Buehler

Teoscar

Eovaldi

Crochet

Mariners Staff - Various

Very INTERESTing offseason for the Red Sox. 

 

Bieber too!

https://www.si.com/mlb/guardians/news/boston-red-sox-tried-hard-to-steal-star-cleveland-guardians-shane-bieber

[mvp 78]

19 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Bieber too!

https://www.si.com/mlb/guardians/news/boston-red-sox-tried-hard-to-steal-star-cleveland-guardians-shane-bieber

And technically Sasaki, but everyone is in on him. The Rockies were one of the first teams to reach out for him.

[notin]

37 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Per MLB Trade Rumors so far: 

Soto

Adames

Bregman

Snell

Burnes 

Fried

Santander

Buehler

Teoscar

Eovaldi

Crochet

Mariners Staff - Various

Very INTERESTing offseason for the Red Sox. 

 

Also Tyler O’Neill.

 

They haven’t been connected to Pete Alonso yet. In fact, I don’t think anyone has been…

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, notin said:

Also Tyler O’Neill.

 

They haven’t been connected to Pete Alonso yet. In fact, I don’t think anyone has been…

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/12/al-east-notes-oneill-grichuk-holmes-rays.html

At the end of last season, both Tyler O’Neill and Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow expressed interest in the possibility of O’Neill returning to Boston on a new contract.  That possibility is now officially off the board after O’Neill signed a three-year, $49.5MM deal with the Orioles yesterday, and as per WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford (Bluesky link), the Sox “were not very aggressive” in their attempts to re-sign the outfielder.  Boston’s pursuit of Juan Soto simply took precedence, the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier writes, as since the Red Sox are one of the teams still waiting on Soto to make his decision, the Sox didn’t make O’Neill any offers.

Make an offer if you're interested, buddy. 

[moonslav59]

Another pitcher with an injury history.

Typical.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Red Sox are not interested in Aaron Judge, but Buehler, who struck him out in the World Series. How boring.

[Randy Red Sox]

3 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Another pitcher with an injury history.

Typical.

Yankees just signed Fried

[Duran Is The Man]

37 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

Yankees just signed Fried

other teams doing what it takes to improve. the Red Sox....not so much.

[notin]

Andres Gimenez to Toronto…

[Larry Cook]

I think it is about time! Let’s hope bres-slow can close the deal 

[moonslav59]

23 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

I think it is about time! Let’s hope bres-slow can close the deal 

You want this guy?

[Larry Cook]

54 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

You want this guy?

Yes! I think he would sign a one year 20 million dollar prove it deal 

[moonslav59]

23 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

Yes! I think he would sign a one year 20 million dollar prove it deal 

I wouldn't give him $14M/1 or $20M/2.

Haven't we seen enough Klubers, Richards, Paxtons and Hills for a decade?

[Jasonbay44]

This is opposite of what I want the Sox to sign. I want a healthy, legit workhorse, not another injury prone guy coming off a bad season. 

[moonslav59]

Just now, Jasonbay44 said:

This is opposite of what I want the Sox to sign. I want a healthy, legit workhorse, not another injury prone guy coming off a bad season. 

Exactly.

I'd rather have a steady Pivetta than another Kluber.

[moonslav59]

I missed the Nate $75M/3 deal with Texas.

Every recently-signed pitcher is getting an added year over projections and the same or more money.

Unless we decide to overpay, we will keep coming up short.

This isn't rocket science. Going into these negotiations, thinking we don't have to overpay is either ignorance or playing a shell game, which I call it what it is- a big sham.

I'm at the point, where even if we get Burnes, I'll still be pissed.

[harmony]

29 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I missed the Nate $75M/3 deal with Texas.

Every recently-signed pitcher is getting an added year over projections and the same or more money.

Unless we decide to overpay, we will keep coming up short.

This isn't rocket science. Going into these negotiations, thinking we don't have to overpay is either ignorance or playing a shell game, which I call it what it is- a big sham.

I'm at the point, where even if we get Burnes, I'll still be pissed.

The Red Sox are probably exploring the trade market where the asking prices may rise with the rising free agent market ... especially for pitchers.

Will trade demands go up or down in the pitching market?

[moonslav59]

8 hours ago, harmony said:

The Red Sox are probably exploring the trade market where the asking prices may rise with the rising free agent market ... especially for pitchers.

Will trade demands go up or down in the pitching market?

Yes, true, but to you, no Sox player's trade value ever goes up, accordingly.

[papajoe222]

I say go for it. One year with a club option. This guy bounced back at the end of last season. If he stays on track, he coul be a major boost to a shaky rotation. If not, its a small investment gone wrong. They’ve gotten a lot worse for a whole lot more. 

[harmony]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Yes, true, but to you, no Sox player's trade value ever goes up, accordingly.

Indeed an avid Red Sox fan's valuation of Sox players often differs from a valuation of a more objective outsider.

😃

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, harmony said:

Indeed an avid Red Sox fan's valuation of Sox players often differs from a valuation of a more objective outsider.

😃

Of course, there is homerism taking place. We know that, but why do Sox players values stay stagnant in your eyes, while every big signing raises Mariner player values?

BTW, on almost every trade I ever suggested on BTV, I tried to counter my bias by making the return value higher than what we got back- never even. When people gave thumbs up, more often than not there were more thumbs up for the other team. Most disliked the Sox returns. (I do think I try not to be biased.)

[notin]

12 hours ago, Jasonbay44 said:

This is opposite of what I want the Sox to sign. I want a healthy, legit workhorse, not another injury prone guy coming off a bad season. 

Ok, but I’d rather have Buehler than Cooper Criswell out there nearly every fifth day.

 

Of course signing Buehler does give the Sox a chance at both scenarios..

[notin]

5 minutes ago, harmony said:

Indeed an avid Red Sox fan's valuation of Sox players often differs from a valuation of a more objective outsider.

😃

I rely maybe too much on BTV.  But they are objective, and quite often accurate…

[harmony]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Of course, there is homerism taking place. We know that, but why do Sox players values stay stagnant in your eyes, while every big signing raises Mariner player values?

Evidence to support these conclusions?

Just today a post questioned whether Nate Eovaldi's signing reduced the trade value of Seattle right-hander Luis Castillo:

https://talksox.com/forums/topic/89103-rumor-mariners-listening-on-offers-for-right-hander-luis-castillo/page/2/#findComment-2987897

Objectivity is a heavy cross to bear.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

1 minute ago, notin said:

Ok, but I’d rather have Buehler than Cooper Criswell out there nearly every fifth day.

 

Of course signing Buehler does give the Sox a chance at both scenarios..

I just want to be able to watch him and chant, "Hecan'thit, hecan'thit, swing batter!"

...at least for the 10 starts or so he'd give us.

[moonslav59]

6 minutes ago, harmony said:

Evidence to support these conclusions?

Just today a post questioned whether Nate Eovaldi's signing reduced the trade value of Seattle right-hander Luis Castillo:

https://talksox.com/forums/topic/89103-rumor-mariners-listening-on-offers-for-right-hander-luis-castillo/page/2/#findComment-2987897

Objectivity is a heavy cross to bear.

Show me where you ever said a Sox player's value went up, or where you liked a Sox player more than BTV valued them at.

I'm only addressing your views on Sox players as almost always less than the more or less objective BTV site.

You seem to only use fWAR and WAR projections, when it makes a Sox player look worse than we appear to think they are, but never when it comes out making them look valuable. That is my point.

I think you do okay valuing your own players objectively, and you recognize hos park factors make your pitchers look better, in some stats, than they really are, and how batters might look worse.

I totally understand how you are often just trying to show Sox fans how they are thinking their players are better than they might really be.