Red Sox's Updated Payroll, Rotation After Walker Buehler's Reported $21M Contract
December 23, 2024
Walker Buehler is joining the Boston Red Sox on a one-year deal after helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 2024 World Series.
Buehler and the Red Sox are agreeing to a one-year, $21.05 million deal with incentives, according to Yahoo Sports' Russell Dorsey. The deal is pending a physical, per Dorsey.
Here's a look at the Red Sox's overhauled starting rotation following the team's latest signing.
Red Sox 2025 projected starting rotation
- Garrett Crochet
- Tanner Houck
- Walker Buehler
- Brayan Bello
- Kutter Crawford
- Lucas Giolito
The Red Sox had $147 million allocated to the 2025 payroll and $171 million in projected payroll allocations prior to the signing, according to Spotrac.
Boston is currently set to remain well under the first tier of the MLB luxury tax, which is projected to sit at $241 million for the 2025 season.
The deal with Buehler matches the $21.05 million qualifying offer the Red Sox extended to starter Nick Pivetta earlier this season. Pivetta declined the deal in favor of testing free agency.
The Red Sox instead used the money to add Buehler, who could potentially move as high as No. 3 in the rotation.
The order is currently led by Garrett Crochet, whom the Red Sox acquired in exchange for multiple top prospects this offseason. Houck could meanwhile be set to slot in behind Crochet after earning his first career All-Star nod in 2024.
Buehler's fit in the rotation isn't completely clear given his up-and-down campaign in 2024.
After missing the 2023 season amid recovery from Tommy John surgery, Buehler was sidelined for the beginning of the 2024 campaign and missed another two months mid-season. He ended up posting a 5.38 ERA in 16 regular-season starts.
Buehler then upped his free-agency stock with four postseason starts. He threw the final pitch in Game 5 of the World Series to force the New York Yankees' Alex Verdugo into a swinging strikeout and earn the title for the Dodgers.
The Red Sox will now hope that having Buehler two seasons removed from surgery will allow him to regain the form that earned him an All-Star nod and Cy Young votes during his 2021 campaign with the Dodgers.
If Buehler bounces back and Lucas Giolito is able to succeed in his return from elbow surgery, the Red Sox's new-look rotation could help position the team as contenders for the top of the AL East.
