When the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a massive five-year, $182 million contract with free agent starting pitcher Blake Snell, the writing appeared to be on the wall for Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty.
Both Buehler and Flaherty became free agents following the 2024 MLB season, and though both still can return to the Dodgers, it seems unlikely the Dodgers will re-sign either now that they have added Snell.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale told Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain that he does not see either of the two pitchers returning after the deal with Snell.
“Well, I can’t see Buehler coming back now. Same with Jack Flaherty,” Nightengale told McKain. “Obviously, they could have kept Buehler by giving him a qualifying offer. I think Buehler would have taken it at $21 million. I’m sure they talked and said, ‘Okay, we’ll offer you, you know, say around $15 million,’ and he wasn’t interested.”
Nightengale added: “So, I think some teams will jump on Buehler and give him a nice back-loaded one-year contract, with a player option for a second year.
He was great in the postseason — or solid, I should say. Great in the back end. He came out in the ninth inning of Game 5, particularly, being a free agent coming off the surgery and everything else. Great team player. But I would doubt it now. It’s like, where does he actually fit? You already have seven, eight starters. Particularly, like you said, if you get the young pitcher, Roki Sasaki, from Japan — there’s really no room for him or Flaherty.”
Even if Buehler and Flaherty’s tenures with the Dodgers come to an end, both left an unforgettable mark on the team.
Though Flaherty arrived in Los Angeles during the middle of the season, he emerged as the starter for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series and World Series, leading his hometown team to wins in both games.
Buehler also came in clutch during the postseason. The Dodgers earned wins in his NLCS and World Series starts, and he came in the final inning of Game 5 of the World Series, shutting out the New York Yankees to seal the win.
The two starters have drawn interest from other teams in free agency and should be pursued after their clutch postseason play.
