Dodgers’ Walker Buehler to the Padres? One MLB Insider Thinks It’s Possible
When Blake Snell was introduced as the newest member of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium Tuesday afternoon, he officially joined his third National League West team.
It also inspired MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa to explore more scenarios featuring a free agent joining a division rival.
One of those players is starting pitcher and World Series hero Walker Buehler.
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Because of Snell’s signing and the expected return of injured starters Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, and Dustin May, the future of Buehler in blue could be in jeopardy. It could also be good news for the San Diego Padres, “who couldn’t quite catch the Dodgers in the NL West last season despite a late surge.”
“Inserting Buehler, who proved to be very good for the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series and World Series after returning from injury, into a rotation with Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish and Michael King could make an already strong San Diego club even more of a threat to win its first division title since 2006,” Randhawa wrote.
Buehler agreeing to terms with the Padres would break the hearts of Dodgers fans, but Buehler is deserving of a new contract and is a free agent for the first time in his professional career.
After sitting out the entire 2023 season recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, Buehler returned to the mound in 2024, posting a 5.38 ERA over 16 starts and 75.1 innings for the Dodgers. While his regular-season numbers were below his usual standards, he demonstrated his value when it mattered most — during the postseason.
Buehler delivered some of his career’s standout performances in this year’s World Series against the Yankees. In Game 3, he pitched five scoreless innings to lead the Dodgers to a 4-2 victory. He followed that with a pivotal save in Game 5, shutting down the ninth inning without allowing a run and clinching the championship for Los Angeles.
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Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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