The New York Mets ended a surprising playoff run just two wins shy of the World Series this season.
Now, they’re set to reload the roster and try to recapture that magic and then some to make it all the way in 2025. As the front office assesses the free agent landscape, it can consider adding one player who captured some championship magic of his own for the Los Angeles Dodgers by signing veteran pitcher Walker Buehler.
In five seasons of playoff appearances with the Dodgers, Buehler has racked up four wins and 114 strikeouts with a 3.04 ERA across 94.2 innings. After missing all of 2023 due to injury, his return in the 2024 regular season was shaky and he was in danger of missing the playoff roster altogether. But he ended up recapturing his playoff mojo, including a championship-clinching save in Game 5.
The turnaround has made Buehler the latest World Series legend in Dodgers’ history, and his Fall Classic stats now include a 0.47 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 19 total innings.
Now, Buehler is heading to free agency and Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller has named the Mets a top landing spot to sign him.
“With the Mets, it’s not a question of whether they need to add starting pitching this winter. They almost certainly do,” Miller wrote. “Why couldn’t Buehler be a part of that plan, though? He wouldn’t be their main acquisition. If they’re unable to land Juan Soto, you can just about take it to the bank they’ll get (at least) one of Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, Max Fried, or Jack Flaherty instead. But they could sign a co-ace for Senga while also bringing in Buehler to become either the No. 3 or No. 4 option in 2025.”
With frontline starters Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and José Quintana all potentially leaving in free agency, the Mets will need to reload to some degree. Given his injury history and age, Buehler is projected for a single-year deal in the $3.8 million range, per Spotrac.
That could be the kind of low-risk, high-reward bet that entices the Mets, especially as they hope to recapture some of the playoff magic they enjoyed in 2024.
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