A New Team Has Entered the Walker Buehler Sweepstakes, Joining Dodgers and Others
Walker Buehler is still on the market, but a new team has shown interest in the Los Angeles Dodgers fan favorite. The New York Mets have joined in on the Buehler sweepstakes along with the Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and New York Yankees.
The Mets have inquired about Buehler as the team is in jeopardy of losing three starting pitchers that led the team in its deep postseason run.
New York already lost Luis Severino to the Athletics. The right-hander agreed to a three-year, $67 million contract with the A’s, the largest guarantee in the franchise’s history.
Severino rejected a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer from the Mets, which was projected to hurt his market value. The Dodgers chose not to extend a qualifying offer to Buehler for that very reason.
“The qualifying offer would have damaged Buehler in the market, leaving him with almost no choice but to accept,” The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal wrote. “The Dodgers, as a team that will pay the luxury tax, only would have received a pick after the fourth round if he rejected. This way, Buehler can negotiate a multiyear deal with the team of his choosing. Conceivably, that team could be the Dodgers. But other teams might value Buehler more.”
Along with Severino, the Mets could also lose ace Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana, both of whom helped the team reach the National League Championship Series. The Mets are evidently in need of starting pitching and could use a pitcher like Buehler, a right-hander who thrives when the lights are brightest.
The Mets have been linked to several free agent pitchers including Corbin Burnes and Max Fried. If the Queens franchise ends up landing star outfielder Juan Soto, it’s likely the organization would add a pitcher with a lower price tag than Burnes or Fried.
Buehler to the Bronx is a possibility.
Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Buehler’s gone, let face it. Due perhaps to the Dodgers coaching staff, his arm, or perhaps just modern baseball, he’s 7-9 in the past 3 seasons. Before that, after his first TJ surgery he was electric. Which Buehler are we going to see next year? Or for how long? Baseball, the same game which allows kids in the 20’s to sign a contract for half a billion dollars, is also the game of what have you done for me lately. He might sign a modest 1 year contract for 11M, then go 20-4, or he might sign a 5 year deal for a hundred M and blow out his elbow for the last time by June. None of this is a slight to Buehler, but rather to the game as it is today.
I really don’t see him signing with the Dodgers, at least not until the twilight of his career in another decade. They’re too pragmatic. That said, I wish him well and he might go on to win another 200 games, his stuff’s that good when he’s right, but I’m not holding my breath.