Walker Buehler hits free agency after spectacular playoff performances for the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The veteran was brutal in the regular season but showed growth for the first time after his UCL injury in October. In Northern California, the Athletics are in turmoil and need to field a competent team to get fans to show up in Sacramento. A report from Kasey Kazliner at USC said that the Athletics and Buehler are not a free-agency match for one big reason.
“At USC’s SBA Summit, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said the A’s were talking to Walker Buehler but he didn’t want to play in Sacramento,” Kazliner posted.
Kotsay said the quiet part out loud regarding the Athletics’ temporary home in Sacramento. It will be nearly impossible for them to attract free agents like Buehler while playing in a minor-league ballpark. They will be there until the 2027 season, with their stadium in Las Vegas scheduled to open in 2028.
After tearing down the core that brought them to the playoffs in three straight years from 2018-2020. Matt Chapman, Marcus Semien, Matt Olson, and many others are all gone. A new core of Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, and JJ Bleday represents the future of the organization on the field. They must add players like Buehler around that core to attract fans in Vegas.
Best Walker Buehler free agency landing spots
The Athletics would be a great fit for Walker Buehler if they were playing in a major-league ballpark. It is an issue that the front office must figure out before their move to Vegas. The fanbase there has shown that they will rally around a successful team, just look at the Golden Knights, but the Athletics have a long way to go to get there. If Buehler is not going to Sacramento, where should he go?
The best landing spot for Walker Buehler in free agency is the Atlanta Braves. After they turned Chris Sale from a washed-up 30-something to a Cy Young winner, Buehler should want to go there. They could be losing Max Fried in free agency, which creates a massive hole in their rotation. Spencer Strider could also be out at the beginning of the season. Adding Buehler makes them a bigger contender in the National League.
The Dodgers could bring Buehler back, but it would be as the fifth starter in their rotation. With Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Clayton Kershaw in the fold, there are not a lot of innings left for Buehler. He is a career Dodger, however, so a return cannot be ruled out.
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