The Los Angeles Dodgers made a $20 million offer to starting pitcher Walker Buehler during free agency following the 2024 season, per The New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
Buehler had spent his entire career prior to the 2025 season with the Dodgers, making 131 appearances from 2017-24.
“The Dodgers made Buehler a $20M offer to return, but made no offer to Flaherty and instead targeted Snell, who has a 0.86 ERA this postseason after shutting down the Brewers in eight shutout, one-hit innings in his 2-1 Game 1 victory,” wrote Heyman.
More news: Dodgers Stars Get Honest About ‘Low Point’ of LA’s Season, Talk Battling Back
The Dodgers’ interest in keeping Buehler is understandable, as he showed up during both of the Dodgers’ World Series runs in 2020 and 2024. During the 2020 postseason, he made five starts and posted a 1.80 ERA through 25 innings and struck out 39 batters. He spearheaded a hobbled Dodgers rotation during the 2024 postseason, posting a 3.60 ERA through four appearances.
The right-hander ultimately signed a one-year, $21 million deal with the Boston Red Sox, though didn’t spend the entire season in Beantown. He posted a 5.45 ERA with the Red Sox, throwing 112.1 innings before they released him at the end of August. The Phillies picked him up a few days later, and he earned a win in all three of his appearances with Philadelphia.
Buehler was on the Phillies’ roster during the NLDS, however he never came in to face the Dodgers during the series.
Whether or not the Dodgers had space for Buehler in their rotation is debatable, as they already had as many as six starters in their rotation during 2025. Shohei Ohtani and Emmet Sheehan both returned to the mound from injury, and the additions of Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki allowed even less room among the Dodgers’ starters.
More news: Will Tanner Scott Return to the Dodgers in the World Series?
The Dodgers will be happy with how things panned out, though, as their starters broke MLB records during their recent NLCS triumph. Across their four games against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Dodgers’ starters posted an ERA of 0.63 — the lowest by any MLB team in a league championship series.
The Dodgers are back in the World Series this season, and begin the final series of the season on Friday, Oct. 24.
Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Have you downloaded the new Dodgers Nation app yet? Click here for Apple Users and here for Android Users to be a part of the redesigned app to give fans everything they need, all in one place. Don’t miss out on live GameCast with play-by-play, news and analysis, Dodgers Nation podcasts and videos, all the stats you want and more!
12 Responses
I grew up in Canarsie, in the borough of Brooklyn N.Y. Have been a Dodger fan since 5yrs old. Now am 89, am curious if there are others. Moved to San Jose in 1955, remained a Dodger fan (not easy in Giant’s territory) & enjoying a fabulous season.
I am happy you stayed loyal despite being in enemy territory! I’ll never forget the first time I wore a Dodgers jersey at a Giants game. I was a few rows behind home plate (thanks to my friend!), and definitely had some very vocal people behind me that didn’t like it
Bravo, Mary! My father was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan since moving to Long Island, NY in 1950 to go to college. He would be 93 years old now if he were still alive; alas, that is not the case. He continued following the Dodgers loyally and my family moved to Orange County, CA in 1966, when I was a toddler. I became a huge Dodgers fan in the 1970s. I still follow the Dodgers avidly now, even though I live in Southeast Asia and it is VERY difficult to get the games on TV here. I have rooted for the Dodgers at Candlestick many times; local fans were not pleasant, though it never got too ugly. I still give anybody I see wearing a “SF Midgets” cap the stink-eye when I see them.
GO BLUE!
Well Mary, you have a few years on me but, I was born in LA in 1950, My family moved to Houston Texas when I was 1 year old.!…..We moved to Washington state in 1962 where I have lived ever since. I have been a Dodger fan since approx. 1956. I think being born there, and my first little league team being called the Dodgers perhaps cemented that. Anyway it’s been there as long as I can remember. And no…..I was never a Astros fan!….Hell no!….And after 2017 I can hardly stand to watch them play any body any where!….. I’m glad to see the primary offenders still being booed where ever they go!
I have been a Dodger fan through every up and down and I expect that will always be true. Even though my local team would be the Mariners, who I root for as long as they’re not playing the Dodgers made me a little sad tonight that was also because I wanted the Dodgers to have home field advantage!…..Please don’t tell any of my local friends!
I grew up in Canarsie, in the borough of Brooklyn N.Y. Have been a Dodger fan since 5yrs old. Now am 89, am curious if there are others. Moved to San Jose in 1955, remained a Dodger fan (not easy in Giant’s territory) & enjoying a fabulous season.
Love to hear it! 84 years and going strong!
Mary, you have some years on me…I started rooting for the Dodgers in 1955 watching the world series with my Dad, a Yankees fan. I am now 78, so 70 years now of pulling for the boys in blue.
I didn’t want to lose Buehler, but in retrospect, we still have great talent. I was especially happy to get Snell!
Heyman is usually a reputable source but something doesn’t ring true. Would Buehler leave the Dodgers for 1 million $ more? Maybe they did make that offer but said they would use him in the bullpen only. Maybe they did make that offer but with a large sum deferred. If they would offer him that why not make a qualifying offer to get a draft pick if he moved on? Or did Buehler not want to play for the Dodgers?
What is missing from this story?
You never know how egos works. Maybe when he couldn’t get that last $1 M from LA he decided : “I’ll show them !! ” and signed with Boston to spite the Dodgers.
Yes! I am on the same page as you Dave. Something doesn’t add up here. He loved being a dodgers. Can’t imagine he would leave for $1 million.
Usually players don’t/wont comment on stuff like this if it makes them look bad and if this is true it surely seems all about the money.
I loved Walker Buehler and always thought he would remain loyal to the Dodgers but….
Many forget Blake Treinen played for 1 mill last year and w/o him there would be no worl series