We are nearly at the halfway point of the Boston Red Sox's 2025 season, and it feels safe to say that the Walker Buehler experiment has been a complete and utter failure.
Buehler's most recent start against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, which saw him give up five earned runs over four innings with three strikeouts and seven walks, was a continuation of a troubling pattern of rough outings for the 2024 World Series champion.
The Red Sox gave Buehler a three-run-lead at the top of the first, but he quickly choked it away by giving up five runs in the bottom of the inning. Seven walks later, his ERA for the season sits at an alarmingly high 6.29.
The Red Sox might need to talk about making drastic move with Walker Buehler
Things really started to go south for Buehler when he landed on the injured list at the end of April with a right shoulder injury. In seven starts since coming back, he has totaled an 8.59 ERA with an OPS against of .987.
Manager Alex Cora maintained after Buehler's disastrous start on Monday that the right-hander was "one hundred percent" healthy, but Buehler himself flatly shut down any further questioning when asked if any of his recent issues this season were the result of his injury.
This only added to the increasing level of tension, frustration and general unease surrounding Buehler's brief yet disappointing time in Boston. Those feelings seem to be worsening with time, and the Red Sox may have to start seriously considering other options if Buehler doesn't start to turn things around quickly.
Tanner Houck is in the middle of a rehab assignment and is expected to be back with the Red Sox around July 4, and newly acquired pitcher Kyle Harrison could potentially be incorporated into the rotation at some point during the next few weeks. If Buehler hasn't shown any signs of turning things around by the time these pitching reinforcements arrive, the Red Sox may have to seriously consider drastic measures.
That could mean moving Buehler to the bullpen, which will likely be the first line of defense. It could also mean designating him for assignment, which the Red Sox shouldn't be afraid to do if he's not helping the team win games.
Buehler signed a one-year, $21.05 million contract with the Red Sox during the offseason, and that's going to be a sunk cost regardless if he is a dead weight on their roster. The Cincinnati Reds showed no hesitation in cutting ties with a failed veteran free agent signing in Jeimer Candelario earlier this week because he wasn't helping the team win; the Red Sox might be wise to follow their lead with Buehler.
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