With a need for at least one starting pitcher and a lack of funds, many believed Walker Buehler would be a perfect target for the Braves.

The former perennial Cy Young contender is the exact profile that typically attracts Alex Anthopoulos. Buehler is coming off his first health season since Tommy John and was in line for a shorter-term deal, potentially even a one-year contract.

However, when a report that Walker Buehler was looking for a multi-year contract with opt-outs emerged, it made a marriage with the Braves unlikely. So, when news broke of Buehler’s one-year deal worth a hair over $21 million with the Red Sox, Braves fans are rightfully puzzled.

According to a report from Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports, the one-year deal is pending a physical but is expected to be completed. The Braves were linked to the free agent pitcher by Jon Morosi, and it made a lot of sense for several reasons.

The Braves need to bolster the rotation. Alex Anthopoulos has a type, and Walker Buehler checks a lot of boxes.

The former Dodgers ace was once a premier starter in this league, a regular in the Cy Young conversation. From 2018-2021, Buehler had a 2.82 ERA across 564 innings of work with a 27.7% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate.

However, that version of Buehler hasn’t been seen in years. After missing the entire 2023 campaign, he threw 75.1 innings with a 5.38 ERA and career-worst strikeout and walk rates of 18.6% and 8.1%, respectively.

This would’ve been a high-reward free agent signing for the Braves. I expected Buehler to garner a one-year deal worth around $20 million, and there’s a possibility he will turn in a Cy Young-caliber campaign. After all, he’s only 30 years old and has all the incentive in the world to perform in 2025 to entice a club to give him a long-term lucrative deal next offseason.

This is a deal that I really would’ve loved to see the Braves offer.

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Photographer: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire