The Boston Red Sox's 2025 season has been variable. For a team that started the year wanting a lot from Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman, Boston has not disappointed. However, the Red Sox have made some big moves, including trading Rafael Devers. However, cutting Walker Buehler was not one. Now, the Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, and New York Mets can pounce.
Buehler signed with Boston on a one-year deal this winter. After coming off a World Series title where he recorded the final out, the starter's time with the Los Angeles Dodgers had come to a close. However, his reputation earned him $21.05 million from the Red Sox. However, he quickly fell out of the starting rotation thanks to inconsistent performance on the pitcher's mound.
With Buehler on the waiver wire, teams around the league looking for pitching have a new option. The veteran is nowhere near the pitcher he used to be, but can still provide a manager with a reliable, low-risk option. With the postseason on the horizon, contenders looking for another player to take them over the hump could line up to add him before the regular season ends.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora demoted Buehler to the bullpen in a move that cleared the way for players like Dustin May and Richard Fitts. It was a disappointing development for the former champion, but he didn't last long as a reliever. After a poor showing against the New York Yankees, Cora and Boston had seen enough of the veteran and decided to cut him loose.
Despite his unceremonious exit reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, Buehler can still find a place on a new team. At this point, he is a player worth throwing a dart at. Here are three teams that should roll the dice on the pitcher on the waiver wire.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners enter their weekend series against the Cleveland Guardians at 72-62. Despite the impressive record, Seattle is the last team in the American League playoff picture. However, completing a sweep this weekend would give the team a lead in the AL West. Regardless of where the Mariners finish in the standings, they need another starting pitcher to tie the rotation together.
Seattle starting pitcher Bryan Woo and his streak of minimal walks came to an end recently, but he has been excellent on the mound. He, along with George Kirby and Luis Castillo, figure to be the faces of the Mariners' playoff rotation. However, Seattle still needs to win some games to make up the distance in the standings. Buehler is a great short-term fix at the end of the rotation.
As a group, the Mariners' pitching staff is a formidable group. However, injuries to Bryce Miller and others have thrown Seattle off of its rhythm this season. Despite their struggles, the team is one solid stretch away from being positioned for a deep playoff run this fall. With Cal Raleigh playing at an MVP level for the Mariners, the team owes it to its stars to bring Buehler in now.
New York Mets
The Mets are another team facing hefty expectations down the stretch of the season. New York added Juan Soto in the biggest move of the offseason. His arrival super-charged the team's offense, but the pitching staff stole the show early in the season. However, struggles from Mets ace Kodai Senga and others have robbed the team of the momentum it needs down the stretch.
As a collective, New York is in the Top 10 of the league in ERA. However, that has not helped them make up any ground on the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza turned to top prospect Nolan McLean to come in and provide some relief from the veterans that are underperforming. The rookie can't be asked to start in the postseason.
Buehler might not be at his best anymore, but he has one thing that New York needs; experience. In five playoff runs with the Dodgers, the veteran started in 18 of the 19 games he appeared in. He has 94.2 innings under his belt to go with a 3.04 ERA in the playoffs. That kind of production is an attractive commodity for a team like New York to bring in ahead of the playoffs.
Kansas City Royals
Carlos Estevez has been an All-Star level closer for the Royals throughout the year. However, Kansas City has big issues to address if its best pitcher is a reliever. The team has tried a litany of different things to kickstart the rotation, but so far, nothing has netted it any kind of substantial success. Now, the Royals have less than 30 games to make up a three-game gap in the Wild Card race.
Things have been so bad in Kansas City that Rich Hill has made a start. Cole Ragans' injury issues make it difficult to rely on him to anchor the rotation alongside Seth Lugo. That leaves a gap in the back end of the pitching staff, and Buehler fills it perfectly. At this point in his career, Buehler wants to start, no matter where he stands in the rotation. The Royals can give him that chance.
According to Passan, Buehler's time with the Red Sox is over. However, that doesn't mean that he is going to fade in obscurity this season. If he wants to get revenge against Boston, he could join one of the AL Wild Card contenders and try to knock the Red Sox out of the postseason. On the other hand, the Mets give him his best chance at back-to-back titles.
