The Yankees and right-hander Walker Buehler have “some mutual interest” in each other, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. New York joins the Braves and Athletics as teams already publicly linked to Buehler in the first few weeks of free agency.
The added wrinkle of the Yankees’ pursuit, of course, is that Buehler delivered some of the best moments of his career against the Bronx Bombers during this year’s World Series. Buehler tossed five shutout innings in the Dodgers’ 4-2 win over the Yankees in Game 3, and followed up that strong start by getting the save in the scoreless ninth inning of Game 5, as Buehler threw the final pitches that sealed the Dodgers’ championship.
Those clutch performances (and four more innings of shutout ball against the Mets in Game 3 of the NLCS) helped bring a happy ending to an otherwise difficult season for the 30-year-old righty. Buehler missed all of 2023 recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, and returned to post a 5.38 ERA over 16 starts and 75 1/3 innings for Los Angeles during the regular season. Pretty much all of Buehler’s secondary numbers and metrics were down from his career norms, including an 18.6% strikeout rate that ranked only in the 16th percentile of all pitchers.
It isn’t uncommon for any pitcher returning from a TJ procedure to initially struggle against big league hitters, even if Buehler has the extra baggage of both his 2022 surgery and the surgery he underwent soon after being drafted by the Dodgers in 2015. Nathan Eovaldi and Daniel Hudson are two of the more prominent examples of pitchers who continued to have success after returning from two Tommy John surgeries, but obviously there’s some risk attached to Buehler going forward, even if the upside is clearly also present.
MLBTR projected Buehler to sign a one-year, $15MM deal this offseason, with the reasoning that he would seek out a pillow contract for 2025 and then quickly return to the market next winter after (hopefully) posting some front-of-the-rotation numbers. Any number of teams could potentially be fits for Buehler on such a short-term deal, though presumably he would prefer pitching for a contender.
New York fits that description, and the Yankees are at least monitoring the free agent pitching market given reports noting their interest in Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Blake Snell, and Sean Manaea. The Bombers have the resources to broadly check in on basically any free agent at least out of due diligence, and the perception is that the club is prioritizing re-signing Juan Soto before any other bigger-ticket offseason business.
Signing Buehler to a one-year deal might not necessarily count as “bigger-ticket” in comparison to those other frontline pitchers who will command hefty multi-year contracts. Any additions to the rotation, however, would seemingly necessitate a trade since the Yankees already have six rotation candidates on the roster in Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman, and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil. Cortes or Stroman are the likeliest trade candidates if New York does indeed add another starter, and moving pitching could allow the Yankees to address other needs in the lineup or bullpen.
7 man rotation, problem solved.
Feels like Cortez or Stroman could be traded if they get Buehler. Cortez would net something hopefully useful. Stroman would net a Little Caesars Pizza.
…with no toppings
They have to pay down the contract to get crazy bread
The best kind is without toppings… I’m all in.
Dave Dombrowski is sipping martini’s this offseason again I have a feeling. Guy has 1 foot out the door. We need rotation depth!!!!!!
It’s not even December yet. Most of these players aren’t signing for a month or two.
Dumbrowski thinks we only need a few minor adjustments. How about opening your eyes. Legitimate closer. Right handed outfielder with power. Rotation Help!!.
That’s where I had him landing in the contest.
Come on AA go ahead and pull the trigger. Buehler,Sale, Lopez, Schwellenbach looks good and with Strider returning mid season, could look even better.
Are you sure Sale will last the whole season this time without getting injured? He was injured the three years before he came to the Braves and this postseason as well.
@troll You can never be sure, you just hope for the best
C’mon Arte hit the button.
(Insert team here) is interested in Buehler
Right ! He’s gonna blow past 15 mil ! Prob more like 4/80 and his post season success has little to do with his next contract as he was already a beast !
And in that game against the Mets he set a post season record for baserunners without giving up a run lol
No one is giving him 4 years, let alone 80 million lol.
“No one is giving him 4″…Buehler’s market seems surprisingly robust. After the season he had I figured he’d try to score a 1 year opt-out deal, but now I’m not so sure.
I guess I still think he’ll try to reestablish his front of rotation status with a multi year, first year opt out situation.
How about 2/25 with an opt out.
He gets more guaranteed money (than a pillow contract that he is looking for), has a chance to opt out if he performs, stay another year if he needs it.
A team either gets a little overpaid #5 innings eater or a below the market #3. On a 2 year max deal, not a lot of capital to tie up.
I think most thought he was hoping for 1/5 with incentives type of deal at end of season but the Playoffs must have stirred some “he has a shot to be a 2/3 guy again” conversations.
Look better in Toronto blue….
No one wants to go to Toronto
I do! Not to live but seems like a really cool epicenter for international activities.
I live in Toronto and there are a lot of fun things to do here. We have NBA, MLB, NHL here, great theater, just had T-Swift here for the last two weeks. Amazing food from all over the world and amazing night clubs. It is a cool world class city. Plus our dollar low right now so your money stretches here. Come visit.
My daughter lives in Toronto with her husband and two children. We love to visit. It’s a great city. Lot’s to do and see.
L take
That’s a no from me, dawg.
Good luck trading Stroman and his 18 million plus ‘26 player option without including at least 10
Find a trade partner for Stroman and wait for the badmouthing of the Yankees organization out the door.
Guaranteed
Maybe we can trade Sroman to the Red Sox.
We owe them for the Verdugo trade.
No thank you. Stroman is a headcase.
They better act fast because the A’s are interested in him too!
No surprise here. Probably a good gamble for the Yankees. I’m in a minority where i still think Soto is theirs to lose.
Stroman’s home/road splits indicate he was much better away from Yankee stadium. He had a 3.00 road ERA vs 5.31 home. 4 humerus allowed on the road vs 15 at home. Only word thing is he struck out about 50% fewer hitters on road. I think teams would take him if the yanks kicked in $8 mil x 2 for a couple of okish prospects.
If they can trade Stroman and Cortes, I am all for signing Buehler. Something like 3/40-45 maybe gets it done?
Yankees are petitioning mlb to allow Buehler to wear number 4077.
An obscure but not too awfully funny reference.
I like how his whole season sucked and it went to another level when it mattered most,
I think I have Walker signing with the Yankees, but they’re going to have to unload Stroman. Where Stroman would land, not sure but Yankees would have to eat at least 10 million of the 18 or so he’s owed.