Windy City Windfall: Dodgers Star Takes $30M Club Deal
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2024 with key injuries in their rotation. With their stars set to return, they could lose some pitchers who stepped up during their absence.
While outlining the pitching market in free agency, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer predicted that Walker Buehler would leave Los Angeles and sign with the Chicago Cubs.
“This year was a disaster for Buehler until, suddenly, it wasn’t,” wrote Rymer. “He came up huge in his last three playoff outings for the Dodgers, pitching 10 scoreless innings and ultimately throwing the pitch that sealed the deal on their title.”
Buehler was a different player in the postseason, perhaps indicating that he can find his former All-Star form. In his final two postseason starts he threw a combined nine scoreless innings and struck out 11. He came on to get the World Series clinching save on one day of rest, striking out another two batters.
Rymer predicted the Cubs to sign Buehler away from the Dodgers with a three-year, $30 million deal. The Dodgers may not believe his postseason was enough to warrant a multi-year deal. Meanwhile, the Cubs could use a “high-upside starter.”
“It was a taste of the good old days for the two-time Tommy John survivor, and his earning power should benefit accordingly,” wrote Rymer. “It’s even possible to imagine him scoring a multi-year deal from a team in need of a high-upside starter.”
