The Boston Red Sox have a costly decision coming their way.
Walker Buehler has contract incentives that he’s on the verge of reaching that could get costly in a hurry, especially if Buehler doesn’t start pitching together.
According to Nat Gordon, Buehler gets $500,000 for season starts 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28.
In total, that’s $2.5 million due to Buehler if he just keeps starting the rest of the regular season.
Buehler’s next start is his 20th, and the Red Sox will have to decide if they want to pay him more than $500,000 extra this season.
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The former Dodgers star is not the pitcher he once was. This season, his ERA is an ugly 5.74.
Buehler’s strikeout rate is also way down, just 71 punchouts in 94 innings. And he has allowed 19 homers in that workload, not good either.
The Red Sox do have an alternative.
They acquired lefty Kyle Harrison in the Rafael Devers trade.
Harrison was sent straight to the minor leagues when he was added to the organization. But on Thursday, he threw a five-inning, two-hit, no-run gem for Triple-A Worcester that also included seven strikeouts. If the Red Sox were ever going to call him up, it’s starting to feel like it’s time.
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In the competitive AL East race, they can’t afford Buehler to have too many more bad starts.
On the flip side, Harrison looks ready for his Boston debut. He has already pitched some in the majors from his time in San Francisco, and it was a bit surprising that the Red Sox sent him down immediately after the Devers deal.
Now’s the time for Harrison to start proving that he was a strong return for the lefty slugger, and it could come with cost savings if he sends Buehler to the bullpen in the process.
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