When the Boston Red Sox released Walker Buehler on August 29, many Red Sox fans were relieved. Buehler’s time in a Boston uniform was undeniably disappointing. After filling Red Sox fans with optimism by signing a one-year deal in December (not long after winning a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers), Buehler severely underwhelmed in 23 appearances for Boston this season, finishing 7-7 with a 5.45 ERA before getting released on August 29.
But wait a second … are Red Sox fans actually missing Buehler all of a sudden? And does Boston’s front office regret moving on from Buehler?
No one’s denying that Buehler failed in a Red Sox uniform, but Boston has had plenty of other pitching issues in 2025 that have nothing to do with him. Dustin May ended up being a bad deadline pickup, and more recently, the Red Sox bullpen (sans Aroldis Chapman) has looked shaky.
As Boston looks ahead to the postseason, Alex Cora can’t feel amazing about the collection of available arms in his bullpen that will need to be a bridge between Chapman and Boston’s starting pitchers.
Walker Buehler’s early success with the Phillies mixes terribly with Boston’s recent bullpen issues
Boston Red Sox Manager Alex Cora on Walker Buehler:
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) September 5, 2025
“I’m glad that he landed with the Phillies. He’s gonna be OK. ... He’s a pro. He’s a guy that I really respect, very smart kid. I believe he’s gonna help the Phillies win a lot of games over there.” pic.twitter.com/1noAe9ZVzH
Meanwhile, Buehler has looked like a pretty sturdy bridge himself in his first couple of appearances for his new squad, the Philadelphia Phillies. It seems like Philly might even be able to use him as a bullpen depth piece in the playoffs.
In two appearances for Philly thus far, Buehler has tallied a 2-0 record with an ERA of 1.04 and six strikeouts. His pair of outings haven’t been perfect (seven hits allowed in eight and 2/3 innings of work), but his sudden ability to limit runs has been a baffling and somewhat enraging viewing experience for Boston fans who haven't been able to look away.
Is Buehler’s hot start with the Phillies for real? The sample size is still small, but Red Sox fans are pained nonetheless. If Buehler ends up contributing even one successful inning in the postseason for Philadelphia, Red Sox fans will have to try with all of their might not to scream at the television.
Then again, it’s clear that Buehler needed a change of scenery to break out of whatever funk he was in while with the Red Sox. Perhaps it’s healthiest for Boston fans to merely be happy for Buehler and move on. That shouldn’t be too tall a task, unless, of course, Boston’s bullpen falters when it matters most in the coming weeks.