At the beginning of the postseason, it looked like Walker Buehler was on the verge of leaving the Dodgers in free agency, with slim chances of a return, possibly only securing a short two-year deal elsewhere. He had just finished the worst regular season of his career in 2024 and struggled in the NLDS.
However, something changed during the LCS. Over the next 10 innings in both the LCS and World Series, he didn’t give up a single run, struck out 13 batters, and closed out Game 5 of the World Series to secure the championship for LA. In just a few innings, Buehler won back the hearts of LA fans, who are now urging the team to re-sign him.
It’s not quite straightforward, though. Buehler still faces the challenge of overcoming multiple injuries and inconsistent performance from this past season, while the Dodgers’ rotation for next year already looks strong. When the deadline for qualifying offers passed, the Dodgers opted not to extend one to Buehler.
However, according to Jon Heyman, the Dodgers had previously considered giving him a qualifying offer and are currently in discussions about a possible return deal.
If they do bring Buehler back, it’s likely to be on a one-year “prove-it” contract, potentially with a club option for 2026. While he earned $8.025 million in his final arbitration year and didn’t quite justify a big raise based on his regular season, a contract in the range of $11 million with performance incentives seems plausible.
