Walker Buehler’s journey through the majors has had more twists than a late-inning slider, but as we head deeper into the offseason, the right-hander finds himself at a familiar crossroads - one that could lead him back to where it all began.
After a tough 2025 campaign, Buehler is once again a free agent, and while a number of teams could use a pitcher with his postseason pedigree and top-of-the-rotation potential, a return to Los Angeles might just make the most sense - for both sides. That said, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees are also in the mix, and both have compelling reasons to take a long look at the 31-year-old.
Let’s rewind for a moment. Over seven seasons in Dodger blue, Buehler built a reputation as a big-game pitcher with electric stuff and ice in his veins.
He went 47-22 with a 3.27 ERA and a 3.50 FIP, and when October rolled around, he didn’t blink. In 94.2 career postseason innings with the Dodgers, Buehler posted a 3.04 ERA - the kind of numbers that don’t just show up on the back of a baseball card, but in highlight reels of deep playoff runs.
Even in a rotation that featured names like Clayton Kershaw and, more recently, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Buehler stood out as a potential ace - a guy who could take the ball in Game 1 and set the tone. Injuries have always been part of his story, but when he’s right, few can match his mix of power and poise on the mound.
But 2025 was a different story. After closing out the 2024 World Series, Buehler inked a one-year, $21.05 million deal with the Boston Red Sox.
It was a bet on himself - and one that didn’t pay off the way he or Boston had hoped. In 23 appearances, Buehler went 7-7 with a 5.45 ERA, a 1.558 WHIP, and a 5.89 FIP.
He struggled with command, especially on his fastball, and never quite looked like the pitcher who once carved up hitters in October.
That could’ve been the end of the road. But baseball has a funny way of offering second chances - and Buehler made the most of his.
Late in the season, the Phillies picked him up, and what followed was a flash of the old Buehler. In three appearances (two starts), he went 3-0 with a jaw-dropping 0.66 ERA. His fastball command returned, and with it came the sharpness of his secondary pitches.
“It’s a lot easier to get swing-and-miss when you throw stuff off of the heater,” Buehler said in September. “Most of the year, and even last year, I struggled a lot with the fastball command. … If I can get my arm to the right slot and to move the way I want … the feel of everything kind of comes back.”
That feel - and that confidence - made an impression not just on the field, but in the clubhouse. Bryce Harper, never one to hand out praise lightly, spoke highly of Buehler’s presence.
“He fits right in; fits into that mold of being a Philadelphia baseball player,” Harper said. “Obviously, he’s pitched in big situations, big moments, deep into the postseason. So getting a guy like that in our clubhouse is huge for us.”
Philadelphia, with its win-now mentality and deep roster, could be a natural landing spot. Buehler’s brief stint there showed he can still deliver, and the team clearly values what he brings both on and off the field.
But don’t count out the Yankees. New York’s rotation has star power - Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Max Fried - but also question marks, especially with injuries looming.
Buehler could provide much-needed depth and flexibility. If he signs in the Bronx, it might push someone like Paul Blackburn or Ryan Yarbrough into a bullpen role while the rotation gets healthy.
And let’s be honest - the Yankees are always looking for proven October arms.
Still, the Dodgers loom large in this conversation. There’s history, there’s comfort, and there’s unfinished business.
Buehler knows the organization, the ballpark, the expectations. And if he’s truly rediscovered his rhythm, there may be no better place to write the next chapter of his career than back in Chavez Ravine.
Wherever he lands, one thing’s clear: Walker Buehler’s story isn’t finished. Not even close.