Dodgers News: Walker Buehler Says Joining Red Sox Was ‘Best Option’ in Free Agency

The Los Angeles Dodgers have had quite the offseason. From signing Blake Snell to retaining Teoscar Hernández and everything in between, the Dodgers have continued to ride the wave of success.

While the Dodgers are trying to build another winning roster, the franchise lost a World Series hero in Walker Buehler.

The right-hander recently said joining the Boston Red Sox was the best option for him this offseason.

“When you’re a rookie, you think free agency is going to be 30 teams calling and telling you exactly what they think and giving you an offer every day and raising that offer every other day and whatnot. But, that’s just not the way it goes,” Buehler said Friday. “There’s a lot of talented players in this year’s class and I understand that. Also, there’s some different ways to look at my situation that our team (or agents) and I looked at. Do we do a multi-year (deal)? Do we do a one-year (deal)? Do we go somewhere we really want to? Do we go somewhere and try and help build it? For me, the one year in Boston and joining a winning franchise and a historical franchise and a team that has a real chance to win, I think, was the best option.”

The Dodgers chose not to extend Buehler a qualifying offer at the start of the offseason, which would’ve amounted to the contract he just signed with Boston. Since there was no qualifying offer attached to Buehler, the Red Sox were able to sign Buehler without losing a draft pick. His signing has the potential to be one of the best deals of the winter, according to one MLB executive.

“If Buehler can stay healthy, he might be the best sign of the winter,” a National League executive told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. “He can dominate when he’s right. Plus they didn’t have to give up a pick to sign him.”

Despite posting a career-worst 5.38 ERA in the regular season, Buehler proved to teams around the league he was a light out pitcher after tossing 10 scoreless innings in the playoffs. While the right-hander may not be part of the Dodgers’ rotation any longer, Buehler will always have a place in Dodgers history.

More news: Dodgers Champion Walker Buehler Wants to Finish Career With Red Sox

Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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