As September nears and the Wild Card chase becomes real, the Boston Red Sox must refine their roster to have the best chance of staying afloat among stiff competition. One of those changes could involve starting pitcher Walker Buehler.
Buehler's 5.40 ERA is lackluster compared to those of the rest of Boston's rotation. Garrett Crochet is the obvious ace and no one holds a candle to him, but Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito, with a 3.23 and 3.72 ERA, respectively, have been reliable for months. Even Dustin May has turned a corner since his first game in a Red Sox uniform, and he has a 2.87 ERA in 15.2 innings with Boston.
Despite the Red Sox's rotation being much stronger than it was at the beginning of the season, they can't afford many more blowups from Buehler, as every game counts in a Wild Card race as close as this one. A quote from manager Alex Cora suggests Buehler's next start could be in question.
Cora said "We haven't talked about it yet" when reporters asked if Buehler would make his next start, which is currently scheduled for August 25 against the Orioles. Baltimore is a lackluster club this year, and it's had a firm hold on last place in the American League East nearly all season, but it gave the Red Sox a hard time at Fenway Park on August 18-19. The O's are also fresh off series wins against two other playoff hopeful clubs, the Mariners and Astros.
Red Sox may move Walker Buehler to bullpen before his next expected start on August 25
Boston has a tough stretch to close out the season, including two series against the Yankees and matchups with the Tigers and Blue Jays in late September. It must win so-called "easily winnable" games against under-.500 teams, and if the Red Sox are going to make a rotation swap, it should be Buehler.
The veteran has been much more reliable lately than he was at the beginning of the season. Buehler has a 3.79 ERA in his last seven starts, but his appearances are still a bit rough around the edges. He's allowed 22 walks compared to 21 strikeouts in his seven latest outings, and that lack of command is concerning.
Buehler is also in line for some bonuses. He made an additional $500 thousand on top of his $21.5 million salary when he made his 22 start of the season, and he's owed another $500 thousand for every even-numbered start afterward. His bonuses could influence Boston's decision to move him to the bullpen for the rest of the season.
The Red Sox have a few possible replacements for Buehler in Richard Fitts and Kyle Harrison. Boston on August 21 recalled Fitts from Triple-A to fill a vacancy in the bullpen, but he and Buehler could swap roles if necessary. The Sox got Harrison as part of the Rafael Devers trade, and he's posted a 3.69 ERA in 46.1 innings with Triple-A Worcester.
Buehler has years of postseason experience, and even closed out last year's World Series against the Yankees. He could help the Red Sox in their Wild Card chase, but the best spot for him may be in the bullpen.