Red Sox linked to trading Walker Bueheler to division rival.
The Boston Red Sox are competing for a playoff spot, but could look to trade pending free agents ahead of the trade deadline.
One player whose name has come up in trade talks is starting pitcher Walker Buehler. The Red Sox signed Buheler to a one-year, $21.05 million deal in the offseason, and with him being a pending free agent, Boston could look to move him.
Ahead of the trade deadline, MLB insiders Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan named Buehler a trade candidate. The insiders also link him to the division rival Toronto Blue Jays.
“If the Red Sox do punt on this year, Buehler will have plenty of suitors in spite of his mediocre numbers this season,” the article read. “His postseason bona fides are obvious, and his sinker and slider have both played this season despite his fastball and curveball getting tagged. Starter, reliever, whatever: October is Buehler’s time. Best fits: Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Houston, Toronto, San Diego.”
Buehler would help fill the fourth spot in the Blue Jays’ rotation, which is a need for Toronto. The Red Sox, meanwhile, would get some assets back for Buheler, who could potentially leave in free agency for nothing.
Buehler is 5-5 with a 6.29 ERA in 13 starts this season as he has struggled. But, he has a career 3.51 ERA and is a two-time All-Star, so the Blue Jays would be holding out hope he could regain his form for a playoff push and into the postseason.
Red Sox Could Remove Buehler From Rotation
Buehler’s trade interest could increase as the Red Sox may remove the right-hander from the rotation.
Boston signed Buehler to bolster the rotation after helping the Dodgers win the World Series. Yet, he has struggled, and after his most recent outing, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the team will have to discuss next steps for him.
“We’ll talk about it,” Cora said. “But, I mean, like the second and third innings were really good. I mean, velocity was set up, and the movement of pitches were great. But he knows it. You know, we talked a little bit down here.”
The Red Sox’s starting rotation currently features Garrett Crochet, Richard Fitts, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, and Buehler.
Buehler Calls his Pitching ‘Embarrassing’
Buehler was also frustrated with his performance as of late, as he calls it embarrassing.
The two-time World Series champion believes his issues are fixable, but is frustrated with how he’s pitching.
“You can’t walk seven guys in a major-league baseball game and expect to be successful,” Buehler said. “We keep going through different things and trying different stuff for this mix and that mix but at the end of the day, if you don’t execute and throw strikes, you don’t have a chance, so, yeah, it sounds like a broken record but it’s embarrassing. It’s just not who I want to be as a baseball player…
“I think everything is fixable in some way,” he said. “I think the ball is coming out of my hand at times really well and at times I just kind of lose all sight of what the ball’s doing. And it’s just tough.”
Cora has said Buehler will make his next start for the Red Sox.
