Red Sox Predicted To Cut Ties With $21 Million Starter In Trade To Dodgers

Some teams know what their objectives will be for next month's trade deadline. Unfortunately, the Boston Red Sox are not one of them.

After a shaky start to the season, the Red Sox won seven of their last nine games entering play on Sunday. The series finale against the New York Yankees will determine whether they are above or below .500 heading into the second half of June.

This hot stretch has calmed a lot of the early noise about the Red Sox selling at the deadline. But they're not fully out of the woods, and they've got pieces other teams would surely like to get their hands on.

Starting pitcher Walker Buehler, who is on a one-year, $21 million contract, would be a key asset in the event of a sale. He hasn't been his previous dominant self in the regular season since Tommy John surgery cost him all of 2023, but he was nails for the Los Angeles Dodgers during their World Series run last year.

In a YouTube video published Saturday, content creator Jim Riley predicted that the Dodgers, who have been ravaged by starting pitching injuries, would make a trade to reunite with Buehler at the Jul. 31 deadline.

"He (Buehler) pitched so well for them last October and throughout his career, prior to the injury," Riley said. "We know what he can do on that stage with those lights shining down, in front of that crowd.

"He's nails. And I want to get that back if I'm the Dodgers, especially if I am dealing with injuries still in that rotation."

Buehler owns a 5.03 ERA through 11 starts with the Red Sox. However, he's got a 3.04 career mark in the playoffs, including just one run allowed in 19 1/3 innings in three World Series appearances.

The more games the Red Sox win, the less Rileys there will be to prognosticate a fire sale. Boston has to carry some momentum out of this Yankees series and into a nine-game West Coast road trip.