ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that the Phillies have signed right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler who was released by the Boston Red Sox earlier this week. ESPN’s Jeff Passan later added to the report by saying that Buehler will be eligible for the Phillies postseason roster as he was acquired before the end of today’s deadline.
Buehler, 31, was 7-7 on the season with a 5.45 ERA across 23 games for Boston with 22 starts. A two-time former All-Star and two-time World Series champion, Buehler struggled to find his footing in Boston this season after signing a one year, $21M contract this past offseason.
Buehler previously spent 2017-2024 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he was a finalist for NL Rookie of the Year in 2018 when he went 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA. He was one of the best young pitchers in the game from 2018-2021, compiling a 39-13 record with a 2.82 ERA across 564 innings and finished ninth and fourth in Cy Young voting in 2019 and 2021 respectively. But injuries derailed Buehler’s once promising career, as he underwent a second Tommy John surgery and a flexor repair in 2022 that kept him out until 2024. He hasn’t been the same pitcher since, as he’s posted an 8-13 record across two seasons with a 5.42 ERA across 187.2 IP. Nevertheless, he was able to record the last out of last season’s World Series after pitching ten scoreless innings in that series and the NLCS.
Buehler’s once elite fastball has seen a severe drop in performance, as his velocity is down to an average of 94 MPH after averaging 95.3 in his last healthy season in 2021. Opponents hit just .201 with a .365 slugging percentage off of his heater that season, but in 2025 his fastball has been lit up for a .316 AVG and .645 SLG.
It will be interesting to see how the Phillies choose to deploy Buehler. He was primarily a starter in Boston before making one appearance out of the bullpen prior to being released. He pitched 2.1 innings in relief in that appearance and allowed two runs on two hits including a home run with a walk and two strikeouts.
The Phillies don’t necessarily need an extra starter to continue getting their current rotation extra rest, as Tuesday’s off day allows them to continue doing so. But following that, they will play 15 games in 15 days as noted by The Athletic’s Matt Gelb when he first reported the interest in Buehler this morning. Also, they do not need to make a roster move to add Buehler at the moment, as rosters expand to 28 starting tomorrow. It’s possible that he could make a few spot starts before moving to the bullpen in preparation for a possible postseason role.
