The Boston Red Sox are 30-35 and 10 1/2 games out of the division lead. They have an uphill battle to claim a Wild Card spot as well. If things don’t turn around, they could be sellers at the trade deadline.
The Red Sox are 4 1/2 games back of the last Wild Card spot in the American League. They can still make a push for the postseason, but they really need to get things going before the July 31 trade deadline. If not, they may be wise to trade some expiring contracts to contenders. FanSided’s Zachary Rotman predicted that Walker Buehler would get traded if the team “doesn’t turn around.”
“The Red Sox signed Walker Buehler with one thing in mind – the postseason. He hadn’t been an effective regular season pitcher really since 2021, as he’s dealt with injuries and has struggled when he’s been healthy,” wrote Rotman. “Still, he’s been dominant throughout his postseason career, and excelled in all but one inning last October.
“He’s been better and healthier this regular season than the previous three, but it’s not as if his 4.44 ERA and 4.75 FIP through nine starts will blow anyone away. Buehler has had some solid showings, but teams would primarily be looking to acquire him with the postseason in mind, and for good reason. Postseason experience matters, and Buehler’s track record is as good as anyone’s.”
Buehler had a 5.38 ERA last seaosn for the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, his dominant postseason showed signs of him becoming the player he once was, and led to him signing a one-year, $21 million deal with the Red Sox. In the postseason, Buehler had a 3.60 ERA. He gave up six earned runs in five innings in his first start, all in the second inning. In his final three outings, he was unscored upon. He made two starts in that span and picked up the World Series clinching save on one day of rest.
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Buehler struck out 13 batters in his final three postseason outings, spanning nine innings of work. He is not playing great right now, but he knows that and is disappointed in himself.
“This organization put a lot of faith in me this offseason and I’ve been f—–g embarrassing for us,” Buehler told reporters after his last start.
His postseason experience makes him a target for teams in need of starting pitching at the trade deadline. He could be a free agent after this season anyway, so the Red Sox might be open to parting ways with him. He has a $25 million mutual option for next year. Even if he only plays well in the postseason, that is something contenders would value.
“The Red Sox wish Buehler would impress in the postseason for their team, but if a postseason berth is unlikely, a trade makes the most sense. Buehler, like the others, can depart in free agency after the year, as the second year of his contract is non-guaranteed,” wrote Rotman. “As long as he can stay healthy, there should be a good amount of interest expressed.”
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