USA Today via Reuters
May 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler (21) pitches during the third inning against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
May 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler (21) pitches during the third inning against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
This off-season’s plot twist got deeper than any trade rumor. The BoSox let go of a veteran right-handed pitcher who once pitched in the World Series at Dodger Stadium. Yet here he is, nowhere near his best. Still, several in MLB are saying that the Yankees might be his next landing spot. Can one club’s misfire be another’s steal?
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It’s Walker Buehler, the Dodgers’ postseason ace, who helped them win the 2020 and 2024 World Series, earning the series-clinching save in the latter.
The 31-year-old right-hander, who signed a one-year, $21.05 million contract in the winter, had a rough debut season in Boston, with a 5.45 ERA in 23 games, strikeouts per nine innings (6.7), and strikeout/walk ratio (1.53). He also ended up giving up 22 home runs. And the Red Sox didn’t waste much time and pulled the plug.
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On 29th Aug, he became a free agent with a market valuation of $9.2M, per Spotrac. Enter the opportunity for the Yankees.
Garry Sheffield Jr., the son of legendary Yankees slugger Gary Sheffield Sr., came up with an idea. On his X, he wrote, “The Yankees should sign Walker Buehler as a multi‑inning arm out the pen. Protect your one‑inning guys the remaining 28 games this season.”
The Yankees should sign Walker Buehler as a multi-inning arm out the pen. Protect your one-inning guys the remaining 28 games this season.
— Gary Sheffield Jr. (@GarysheffieldJr) August 29, 2025
So, where does Buehler fit? Devin Williams, Sam Bednar, and Luke Weaver lead the Yankees’ relief corps, but they haven’t been able to bring the impact when required.
Yes, Williams is the team’s best pitcher, but the bullpen sometimes loses rhythm after him. Buehler may have problems in 2025, but he still throws a lot of innings and has experience in the postseason.
Moreover, their bullpen is 23rd in the league with a 4.32 ERA and has blown 19 saves this season, which is not good. With Buehler on the team, he can bridge two or three frames. This would lighten Williams’s load, give Bednar a break, and let Weaver rest his arm.
And let’s not forget Buehler tossed the five scoreless innings against the Pinstripes in the World Series.
If the Yankees want him to throw in the playoffs, they need to sign him before September 1st. Moreover, it’s a low-risk and high-reward situation for Cashman! They need to decide soon, as the injury bug has sidelined their right pitcher for the rest of the season.
With Loaisiga out, Buehler suddenly makes sense for the Yankees
Things are getting even more complicated for the Yanks. Jonathan Loaisiga is officially done for 2025 because his right elbow gave way.
Manager Aaron Boone said that the flexor issue won’t need surgery, but it will take a long time to heal. In other words, another dependable right-handed pitcher has disappeared from their depth chart.
Loaisiga wasn’t great this year, with a 4.25 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and 25:10 K: BB ratio over 29.2 innings, but he was a reliable insurance policy for multiple innings. The Yankees are now looking at a bullpen that is already very thin, and that safety net is gone.
Walker Buehler, an experienced righty who the Red Sox just let go after a dismal 112 innings with a WHIP of 1.56, suddenly becomes a good fit with a lot of potential. He has a lot of experience pitching in the postseason, is durable, and may fill the void left by Loáisiga and help Devin Williams, Sam Bednar, and Luke Weaver down the stretch.
Written by
Edited by
Deepanshi Bajaj