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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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Of all the possible outcomes for pitcher Walker Buehler in a Boston Red Sox uniform, few predicted that he would not make it to the end of the 2025 season.
Yet on Friday, the Red Sox made the stunning decision to release the right-hander, whom they signed to a $21.05 million free agent contract just last December.
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Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com was first to report Buehler's release on Twitter/X.
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Buehler, who had recently been demoted to the bullpen, was 7-7 with a 5.45 ERA.
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Once there was no room in the Red Sox rotation for Buehler, an All-Star with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 and 2021, it made sense to see what he could offer pitching out of the bullpen. He recorded the final out of the 2024 World Series, in which the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in five games.
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Yet Buehler got just one chance as a reliever, and he allowed two runs in 2.1 innings Sunday against the New York Yankees in a 7-2 loss. He has not pitched since.
In a corresponding roster move, the Red Sox officially added pitcher Payton Tolle to their major league roster; the top prospect will start Friday in Boston against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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Boston gave Buehler a one-year, $21.05 million contract in December 2024 with a $25 million mutual option for 2026. After a couple of poor starts to begin the regular season, Buehler appeared to find his footing. By May 25, he was 4-2 with a 3.95 ERA.
Buehler's next 14 starts saw him go 3-5 with a 6.26 ERA (6.61 FIP), with an unsustainable 1.78 WHIP.
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Now, with little more than a month left in the regular season, Buehler becomes an intriguing pitcher for teams jockeying for playoff position. He went 47-22 with a 3.27 ERA for the Dodgers from 2017-24, collecting two World Series championships along the way.
Although Buehler struggled to regain his form last year, his first full season following a second Tommy John procedure on his right elbow, he turned it up for the Dodgers in the postseason. Buehler blanked the New York Mets for four innings in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series and tossed five shutout innings against the Yankees in Game 3 of the World Series.
Buehler was credited with the save for throwing a scoreless ninth inning in the Dodgers' championship-clinching win in Game 5 of the World Series.
Players who sign a major or minor league contract before Sept. 1 are eligible for that team's postseason roster.
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