Dodgers World Series Hero Predicted To Cut Ties With LA For $42 Million Deal
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler has been fairly successful in his seven big league seasons. The righty has made 122 starts, all for the Dodgers, despite multiple serious arm injuries over the years.
He’s a free agent this winter and it’s unlikely the Dodgers bring him back. Buehler is coming off a season in which he was worth -1.3 WAR and the Dodgers have already added pitcher Blake Snell to their rotation.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic anticipates Buehler going elsewhere. Bowden recently predicted the Dodgers righty to sign a two-year, $42 million deal with the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers desperately need to add a few starters behind American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
“The Tigers could use a veteran starter to help solidify their rotation, and Buehler, who comes with a history of postseason success, would be a good fit. After two Tommy John surgeries, the 30-year-old remains a high medical risk, but one that’s worth taking given his top-of-the-rotation talent when he’s pitching at his peak,” Bowden wrote. “His impressive postseason performance should get him at least $42 million in guaranteed money, but he also deserves an opt-out clause to go back on the market next offseason if he stays healthy and pitches well.
Giving up $42 million might be an overpay for Buehler, but the Tigers likely won’t be able to compete for the other top arms on the market. If they could land him for closer to $30 million, I would feel a lot better about this deal for the Tigers, but given the fact that Luis Severino landed a three-year deal worth nearly $70 million, this might be Buehler’s market.
READ MORE: Juan Soto Predicted To Betray Yankees For Monumental $622 Million Deal With Rival
The New York Yankees and New York Mets remain the top two teams in the Juan Soto sweepstakes. The Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers remain in the race as well.
Soto is expected to make a decision in the next few days with the bidding being anywhere between $600 million and $700 million at this point.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently predicted Soto would betray the Yankees and sign with the Mets on a 15 year, $622 million deal, which would be quite a bit less average annual value than some of the deals being predicted.
“I debated putting Soto with the Yankees here, but since I’ve done that in a previous free-agent matchmaking article, I went with the Mets this time around,” Bowden wrote. “I still believe the Mets will end up offering Soto the most money and the most years; what I don’t know is whether the Yankees will come close to matching them. With Soto going through the process of eliminating teams from the pool that’s bid on him and likely nearing a decision, the Mets remain a real possibility.”
It’s hard for me to imagine the Mets would land Soto for just $622 million at this point. If all the money was equal, Soto may lean for the Dodgers because the roster and talent that he would be joining would almost be guaranteed to win multiple World Series titles over the next decade.
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