Dodgers Projected $7 Million All-Star Is Prime Target For Red Sox

Should the Red Sox target the Dodgers star this winter?

Jul 16, 2020; Los Angeles, California, United States; A general view of LA logo during a Los Angeles Dodgers intrasquad workout at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox certainly will have starting pitching at the top of their wish list heading into the offseason for the second straight year.

Boston's rotation has done a very nice job in 2024 and certainly has surprised some people. Despite this, there likely will be one hole to fill this winter. Lucas Giolito should give the Red Sox a boost in 2025, with Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello all expected to return, barring a trade.

Nick Pivetta will be a free agent this winter, and it's unclear if he will be back in Boston in 2025. The Red Sox also have Garrett Whitlock, who has been tried as a starter, but he hasn't been a dependable option.

The Red Sox should be looking at external candidates this winter, and one who should be near the top of their wish list is Los Angeles Dodgers two-time All-Star Walker Buehler. He recently turned 30 years old and will be entering free agency, with his value significantly lower than it should be. Spotrac is projecting him to receive a deal in the neighborhood of $7.7 million over two years because of his own injuries.

He missed the entire 2023 season and some of the 2024 campaign, so his numbers, unsurprisingly, don't look great. Buehler has a 5.63 ERA in 15 starts with a 63-to-27 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

While this is the case, he will be one more year removed from his injury in 2025 and very likely will start to return to form. This is a player who had a 2.47 ERA in his last fully healthy season in 2021 across a league-leading 33 starts. From 2018 through 2021, Buehler had a 2.82 ERA across 95 total appearances -- including 94 starts -- while racking up two All-Star nods.

This is a guy with ace-upside who can be had at a discount. Even with his injuries, there's no reason for him to receive a contract in the range of $7.7 million. If he somehow settles for that price or even one a little higher, Boston should be all over him once free agency opens.

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