Walker Buehler struggled for the better part of his final season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but still managed to play a pivotal role in helping the team win the 2024 World Series.
Buehler finished the playoffs that year with a streak of 13 consecutive scoreless innings and memorably closed out the New York Yankees in the clinching Game 5 on just one day of rest.
Why did Walker Buehler leave in free agency?
Despite his postseason heroics, the Dodgers elected not to extend Buehler the qualifying offer for the 2025 season. He wound up signing for the equivalent amount under a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox, which represented a new chapter in his career.
“There’s some kind of interesting stuff on the business side of our game that is kind of hard to explain,” Buehler told Annie Heilbrunn of The San Diego Union-Tribune. “The qualifying offer was something that was in play, and their offer was very similar to it but not quite there.
“And some of the reasoning behind that — at least what I thought it was — maybe it was true, maybe it wasn’t, but their offer included a physical that they wanted to look at my hip. I just kind of thought we were at a point where we would have conversations on the phone and not through agents if that was the thing. I have no ill-will about it.
“I got to go and experience a lot last year, play for two great organizations and now end up here. I think, honestly, I would love to be a guy that played for an organization his whole career and all that stuff. But I think given the way they’re spending money and the way they’re doing things, honestly, I wasn’t in a spot competitively to think that I would make a team or for sure have the role I’ve always had.
“I think at the end of the day it was just kind of time for me to move on. I can’t say watching them win a World Series last year was the easiest thing for me, but personally, Ive grown a lot in the last few years because things haven’t been as easy as they always had been. I probably wouldn’t change a thing.”
Buehler endured a difficult 2025 season with the Red Sox, which led to his release in late August of that year. He wound up joining the Philadelphia Phillies for the remainder of the year and now is in the midst of a resurgent season with the San Diego Padres.
Buehler gained confidence from rookie season
Buehler struggled in limited action with the Dodgers to close out the 2017 season bouncing back as a rookie the following year. The 31-year-old believes the success he enjoyed set the tone for the rest of his career.
“That was about 20 pounds ago, probably,” Buehler initially quipped. “Just a little kid from Kentucky trying to figure it out, playing in the big city and all that kind of stuff. In L.A. at that time there was a lot of veteran players; Justin Turner, Kersh obviously, and Chase Utley.
“We had a really interesting team. Manny was on that team, so I’ve known him a lot longer than people kind of remember. Just a really cool time and a few games down the stretch there that gives you the confidence. I think if you can do it in the playoffs or a World Series game, I think approaching any game in June, you feel more confident the next year.
“At that time I probably didn’t need it, but I think it probably served me really well.”
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
