The Red Sox are letting Walker Buehler do just that.
Boston released the starting pitcher Friday, ending a rough one-year, $21 million experiment for both sides.
The 31-year-old was coming off several injury-marred seasons — he missed all of 2023 following Tommy John surgery — and struggled to find the form that made his a 16-game winner in 2021.
Instead, he leaves Beantown with a 7-7 record over 22 starts with a 5.45 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and -1.03 WAR after being moved to the bullpen earlier this month.
“It’s obviously disappointing,” Buehler said after being removed from the rotation. “It’s the first time in my career that I’ve been in a situation like that, but at the end of the day the organization and to a lesser extent myself, kind of think it’s probably the right thing for our group and it gives me an opportunity to kind of reset in some ways.”
Releasing the two-time All-Star now gives him a chance to potentially catch on with a new team and remain postseason eligible.
A two-time World Series winner with the Dodgers, Buehler can bring the ineffable playoff experience to a team looking to fortify its staff.
Boston, meanwhile, now has ample space for 6-foot-6 rookie Payton Tolle, who is slated to make his MLB debut on Friday after a meteoric rise through the Red Sox’s minor league system.
The 2024 second-round pick began the season in Single-A and moved up to Double-A after 10 starts.
Five starts later, he was in Triple-A, and he now joins a Boston team in the mix of a playoff race after just six starts in Pawtucket.
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