One year ago, Walker Buehler was on the mound for the final out of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series victory. Two days ago, the Boston Red Sox released the two-time World Series champion. The esteemed postseason pitcher suddenly found himself without a team wondering if he’d be able to join another squad by October in his quest for a third ring. Well, it turns out, he didn’t even have to wait for September.
On Sunday, Buehler signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, who assigned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the hopes that he can join the big league squad for their upcoming postseason run.
Why did the Phillies sign Buehler?
Not only does Buehler boast a stellar postseason resume, but the Phillies were in dire need of pitching after ace Zach Wheeler was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, requiring season-ending surgery.
That isn’t to say Philadelphia’s rotation is now struggling. They still boast incredible talents like Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, Jesus Luzardo, and Christopher Sanchez. But Buehler’s postseason experience could prove very valuable to the team and if a change of scenery is all Buehler needed, he could very well compete for a rotation spot before the regular season ends.
Buehler’s struggles in Boston
Buehler signed a one-year deal with Boston this past offseason, worth $21.05 million. He disappointed though, going just 7-7 with a 5.45 ERA across 22 starts for the team.
Buehler posted career-worst marks in both strikeout rate (16.6%) and walk rate (10.7%) as well, detailing issues that were evident during Buehler’s 2024 season but that the Red Sox were hoping could be figured out.
The Red Sox are currently in position to reach the playoffs, but ultimately decided that Buehler’s struggles were not worth his playoff expertise. The Red Sox remain on the hook for the rest of Buehler’s one-year deal he signed in the offseason. The Phillies will only pay Buehler one month’s worth of the league minimum salary, which is set at $760,000 for a full season.
Buehler’s postseason resume
Buehler boasts a stunning 3.04 career ERA in the postseason, and he’s pitched in those games a lot.
With the Los Angeles Dodgers, he reached the playoffs in five different seasons, pitching a total of 94.2 innings during those playoff runs. Even last year, when Buehler started to shows signs of regression, he still posted an outstanding 3.60 ERA once the postseason rolled around.
There were some troubling signs though. Particularly, his strikeout rate. Buehler struck out only 7.8 batters per nine during the 2024 postseason, a full strikeout less than his worst mark before then. In all fairness, he did lower his walk rate substantially in exchange − just three walks per nine innings.