Looking back on the Boston Red Sox’s 2025 campaign, one of the club’s worst moves was the acquisition of Walker Buehler on a one-year, $21.05 million deal.
To be frank, Buehler simply didn’t perform in a Red Sox uniform (7-7 record, 5.45 ERA across 22 starts and one relief outing), and his rough tenure in Boston became even more painful when Buehler went on to throw 13.2 really good innings for the Philadelphia Phillies late in 2025, earning an NLDS roster spot.
The Buehler-Boston marriage was a disaster, hence the quick divorce. Piling on the abuse for Red Sox fans, new intel from The New York Post’s Jon Heyman indicates that Buehler could have easily re-signed with the Dodgers after the 2024 season.
The Dodgers reportedly offered Walker Buehler $20 million, but he turned them down
Heyman revealed this week that the Dodgers offered Buehler a one-year, $20 million deal last offseason to stay in Los Angeles. The arrival of Heyman’s information shot down earlier rumors (persistent all season long) that LA had offered Buehler the same deal as the Red Sox ($21.05 million), which made fans wonder why Buehler had bolted.
Was Buehler fed up with the Dodgers’ coaching staff? What happened? Many fans were left confused about why Buehler would have walked away from a defending World Series champion, fiscal things being nearly equal.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 22, 2025
Buehler ended up taking the most money, and no one can blame him for that. There’s also still the possibility that other factors went into his decision. Maybe there were things about his LA tenure that convinced Buehler he’d be happier seeking a fresh start in Boston.
All in all, that doesn’t change the fact that Red Sox fans are wishing that Buehler had opted to stay in Los Angeles and never donned a Red Sox uniform. It wasn’t just Buehler’s own failures on the mound that damaged Boston’s season; it was that his presence prevented the Red Sox from bringing guys like Connelly Early or Payton Tolle into the fold earlier, which would have set them up better for the postseason.
But the past is the past. The Dodgers are two wins away from their second World Series (this time without Buehler), and Red Sox fans are hoping for an offseason decent enough to foster hope that Roman Anthony and the rest of the squad will still be playing baseball at this time in 2026.
