The Red Sox have released right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler, who had signed a one-year, $21.05 million contract with Boston last December.
MassLive’s Chris Cotillo broke the news of Buehler’s release, then the Red Sox made it official.
The move opens a spot on both the 40-man roster and active roster for rookie left-handed starter Payton Tolle who will make his major league debut Friday against the Pirates, facing off opposite superstar Paul Skenes.
Boston also made two other roster moves Friday. It optioned outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia to Triple-A Worcester and recalled infielder/outfielder Nick Sogard who is in Friday’s lineup, batting seventh and playing second base.
The 31-year-old Buehler struggled mightily with Boston this season. This came after closing out the 2024 World Series against the Yankees with a groundout and two strikeouts in the ninth inning of Game 6 to lead the Dodgers to victory.
The Sox demoted him to the bullpen last Friday after he went 7-7 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 22 starts. He then allowed two runs on two hits, one homer and one walk in 2 ⅓ innings against the Yankees on Sunday in his only relief appearance.
Buehler was near the bottom of the league in swing-and-miss and chase percentage. His 5.69 expected ERA ranked in the fifth percentile among major league pitchers while his expected batting average (.285) was in the 10th percentile.
Opponents batted .316 against his fastball, which was his most used pitch. They batted .363 against his cutter, his second most used pitch.
He was in the Dodgers organization from when they drafted him in the first round in 2015 until becoming a free agent after the 2024 season. The two-time All-Star finished fourth in the 2021 NL Cy Young voting and ninth in 2019. But his career has not been the same after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery in August 2022. He posted a 5.38 ERA in 16 regular season starts with the Dodgers last year but finished strong with a 3.60 ERA in four postseason games (15 innings).
Boston drafted Tolle, who is considered the team’s top pitching prospect, with its second round pick in 2024. Baseball America ranks him No. 40 on its Top 100 MLB prospect list. He throws a fastball that was up to 98.6 mph in his last start for Worcester, while also mixing in a sweeper, changeup, curveball and slider.
The 22-year-old Garcia — who Baseball America ranks No. 78 on its list — made his major league debut last Friday against the Yankees. He went 1-for-7 with two walks and five strikeouts in five games for Boston. Garcia, also known as “The Password,” recorded his first major league hit Thursday against the Orioles in Baltimore, an 87.9 mph double down the left field line to lead off the top of the fifth inning.
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