With the Boston Red Sox out of the postseason spots, many star players see themselves in trade discussions and one of them is two-time World Series champion Walker Buehler. The right hander has agreed to sign an one year, $21 million contract in the offseason, but his stay at Fenway Park has not been how he would have anticipated.
Boston Red Sox to trade Walker Buehler
Walker Buehler, the 30-year-old pitcher hasn't been feeling up to the mark, which is why he hasn't been able to go deep in to the games. Considering his struggles, the franchise might trade him as MLB insider, Jonathan Papelbon spilled the beans on Foul Territory.
I don’t think he has a long rope — there’s no question about that—because you’re getting to the point of the season where you can’t afford to have these starts where your starter goes out and pitches two, two and a third, and then you waste your bullpen for the entire series. So the rope is definitely short for Walker Buehler.
Walker Buehler efficiency raises eyebrows
Jonathan Papelbon shed light on several instances where Walker Buehler's pitch count was worked before he even pitched three innings, putting question marks on his efficiency.
Papelbon feels that his command has not been the same and the main issue with him is his long stride he takes, which further disrupts his control.
I’m sure there are little tweaks and stuff going on with him, but to me, it’s more mechanical, Papelbon said.
I don’t know if it’s a lead leg mechanic thing. What I personally think is his stride is a little bit too long. He’s just got to cut his stride down a bit, get back on top of the baseball so he can command it a little better.
In this season, Buehler has 16 starts to his name as he has pitched 78.0 innings, which comes down to 4.875 innings per start. According to StatMuse, the MLB average for the starting pitchers is around 5.22 innings per start, as per data from 2024 season.
As for the 2025 season, full-year averages are still not available, but signs suggest consistency around 5.2 inning mark. With all things in mind, the Boston Red Sox will be looking to trade Walker Buehler.