The Boston Red Sox announced Friday that they have released starting pitcher Walker Buehler, who had signed a $21 million contract in Major League Baseball free agency.

The move is surprising because of its timing, But not so much for the results. In 112.1 innings in a Boston uniform, Buehler compiled a 7-7 record, a 5.45 ERA, and a 5.88 FIP. He also averaged just 6.7 strikeouts and 4.4 walks per nine innings. These numbers, for a pitcher of his experience, proved too costly for a team looking to contend for the playoffs.

A gamble that didn't turn out as expected

When the club signed him, it was already considered a risky bet. The 31-year-old right-hander had missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and upon his return to the Dodgers, he had shown signs of instability: a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts. Still, the memory of that dominant pitcher, a two-time All-Star and fourth in the 2021 Cy Young Award voting, kept hope alive. Boston management guaranteed him $21.5 million for this year, with a $25 million mutual option for 2026. But patience soon ran out. Before his release, manager Alex Cora had already moved him to the bullpen, a role Buehler hadn't played regularly since his rookie season in 2017. He himself admitted his discomfort with the move: "A situation I've tried to avoid my entire life," he said, although he acknowledged that it was "definitely understandable" given his recent struggles. His debut as a reliever didn't help reverse that perception. In a 7-2 loss to the Yankees, he allowed two earned runs in just one appearance. For a team that remains 2.5 games up in the wild-card race, management wasn't willing to wait for a rebound that might never come.