Red Sox Could Soon Cut Ties With 2-Time All-Star, 9-Year Veteran

Times are getting desperate in Boston

Apr 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Boston Red Sox logo and a field bag during batting practice before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

As the Boston Red Sox look to right the ship against the New York Yankees on Sunday night, they know time is running short.

A series win over the Yankees would be big, but they need to start stringing those wins together, including a few sweeps, if they want to get back in the playoff race by the trade deadline. Otherwise, the 31-35 Red Sox will have to have difficult conversations about selling off their veterans.

Walker Buehler is one of those veterans, and he's had a rough go of things lately. The two-time World Series champion allowed seven runs, five of them earned, in two innings on Friday night. He has lost his past three starts and allowed five home runs in that stretch.

Because he's on a one-year, $21 million contract, Buehler would be one of the first to go if the Red Sox opted for a selling approach at the Jul. 31 deadline.

On Sunday, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller previewed the starting pitching market at the deadline and named Buehler as a "strong candidate" to be traded because of his past successes in the playoffs.

"Goodness only knows where Boston will be or what it will be doing at the trade deadline, but Buehler hasn't been the asset they were hoping for, both with a sub-mediocre 5.18 ERA and already missing nearly a month on the IL," Miller wrote.

"If the Red Sox put him on the trade block, though, plenty of contenders will be reminded of Buehler's 10 scoreless innings of work between last year's NLCS and World Series."

The 30-year-old Buehler was a two-time All-Star with the Los Angeles Dodgers and owns a 3.04 career postseason ERA in 94 2/3 innings. In the World Series, he's allowed one run in 19 career innings (0.47 ERA) while striking out 24.

While this version of Buehler doesn't look like the dominant competitor we saw last October, there will undoubtedly be teams that think they can tap into him. But the Red Sox are still holding out faint hope that they can keep him around for a playoff run of their own.

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