The Los Angeles Dodgers somehow, once again, find themselves in need of starting pitching.
Starters were the Dodgers’ top priority this offseason, and they landed two of the absolute biggest stars on the market in Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki. Both of them are now hurt, as is Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani’s return has progressed at a snail’s pace.
So now, the Dodgers need more starers, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan threw out an intriguing possibility earlier this week: a reunion with Walker Buehler. It was Buehler who recorded the last three outs of the World Series in October to cap off a brilliant postseason.
Buehler signed a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox for $21.05 million, and with a 4.44 ERA through his first nine starts, his value arguably isn’t all that high. But going strictly by a trade value algorithm doesn’t quite capture what it might take to acquire the two-time All-Star.
Case in point: content creator Jim Riley suggested in a recent YouTube video that the Dodgers could get Buehler at the deadline straight-up for right-hander Jared Karros, their number-30 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
“We will send Jared Karros as our bucket of balls,” Riley quipped.
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“Obviously, Buehler’s value is going to be higher than (nothing) when we get to the deadline and we’re looking for good, capable pitchers for October. Walker Buehler would have value, … especially for the Dodgers.”
The Dodgers weren’t the only team that saw what Buehler did in the playoffs last year. His last 13 innings were scoreless, lowering his lifetime postseason ERA to 3.04. The Red Sox want him to do something like that for them, but if they’re too far out of the race, you can bet they’ll command a nice price tag.
Still, there’s little doubt Buehler would love to head back to LA if it means a shot at another ring.
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