Red Sox Skipper Gives Thoughts On How Walker Buehler Will Impact Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies fans should like this.

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The Philadelphia Phillies could be in need of a right-handed pitcher for their playoff rotation.

Aaron Nola has not been able to turn his season around following a long stint on the injured list. Taijuan Walker has been much better this year, but there are still questions about his viability when every game is a must win.

Because of that, the Phillies took a low-risk flier on veteran Walker Buehler, signing him after he was released by the Boston Red Sox. The right-hander will begin with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and get called up in mid-September for a start against the Kansas City Royals, giving Philadelphia another option as they go to a six-man rotation for the remainder of the season.

But how Buehler will look is anyone's guess. Coming off a strong showing in the playoffs where he didn't allow a single run across 10 innings in his final three outings, he signed a lucrative $21.05 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. His performance did not live up to that deal, and eventually he was released after sitting with a 5.45 ERA across 23 appearances (22 starts).

Alex Cora Believes Walker Buehler Will Help Phillies

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Even though things didn't end well with the Red Sox, Buehler's former manager, Alex Cora, believes the veteran pitcher is going to have a positive impact on the Phillies.

"I'm glad that he landed with the Phillies," Cora said during an appearance on WEEI Afternoons in Boston. "He's gonna be OK ... He's a pro. He's a guy that I really respect, very smart kid. I believe he's gonna help the Phillies win a lot of games over there."

That should at least give the fanbase some confidence that this low-risk move could pay dividends. For whatever reason, things didn't work with the Red Sox. But that doesn't mean Buehler can't find his past form during the final stretch of the season and in the playoffs if he performs well enough to make the roster.

The Phillies have signed free agent right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler to a minor league contract and assigned him to triple-A Lehigh Valley. pic.twitter.com/wSNN8b5Fwr

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 31, 2025

Dave Dombrowski said they still like the stuff that Buehler possesses and they are already working on things with him that could help his performance improve. Philadelphia has shown an ability to develop pitchers, so the hope is that will also apply to the veteran.

Again, it's not a given that Buehler is going to come to the Phillies and turn back the clock. But his addition now gives the team another pitcher with playoff experience who they can utilize in the biggest moments of their season.

Buehler's performance during his minor league stint will be something to keep an eye on as he gets ready for his scheduled start against the Royals on Sept. 12.