AL East rival signs two free agent pitchers while the Blue Jays continue stand pat.
The Boston Red Sox continue to get better while the Toronto Blue Jays continue to sit on their hands.
The Red Sox are in agreement with free agent right-hander Walker Buehler on a one-year deal worth $21.05MM, according to a report from Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports. The deal is pending a physical and includes incentives that could raise the value beyond that aforementioned figure.
The 30-year-old right-hander was among the league's most talented young starters during his rookie season back in 2018, and pitched to an excellent 2.82 ERA (146 ERA+) with a 3.16 FIP in a four-season stretch from 2018-21.
That stretch concluded with Buehler finishing fourth in NL Cy Young award voting behind Corbin Burnes, Zack Wheeler, and Max Scherzer in a race that seemingly cemented his status as one of the league's top aces.
The Red Sox also signed free agent lefty Patrick Sandoval, and are in agreement on a two-year deal worth a guaranteed $18.25MM, reports ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Sandoval is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, performed in June. He'll miss at least the first half of the 2025 season, if not a bit more, but could be a late-season option in Boston and should be a member of their 2026 rotation.
Sandoval will earn $5.5MM in 2025 and $12.75MMM in 2026, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Speier adds that the Sox are still open to additional rotation acquisitions.
The Red Sox could very well add another starting pitcher. They've been tied to Corbin Burnes on the free agent market and have also reportedly looked into the availability of Mariners righty https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/castilu02.shtml and Padres righty Dylan Cease.
What is Ross Atkins and co waiting for? The Yankees and Red Sox continue to get much better by addressing all their needs, while the Blue Jays keep coming up empty handed.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 23 | 218 ANSWERS AL East rival signs two free agent pitchers while the Blue Jays continue stand pat. Do you think the Blue Jays will catch up to the Red Sox and Yankees as far as addressing their needs for the upcoming 2025 season? | ||
| Yes | 26 | 11.9 % |
| No | 192 | 88.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
