The Athletics entered the 2024-25 offseason without a single guaranteed contract on the books for 2025 and a tiny arbitration class, putting them in an odd position. On the one hand, that leaves considerable resources to add to the roster, even by their minimal payroll standards. On the other, persuading free agents to sign with a club that’s going to play the next several seasons in a Triple-A park will be a tall order. The A’s apparently have indeed been out there in the market, as manager Mark Kotsay acknowledged when speaking at this week’s Sports Business Administration Summit at USC that his club has been in contact with right-hander Walker Buehler (X link via Michael J. Duarte of NBC Los Angeles).
A match between the two parties doesn’t feel particularly likely. USC’s Kasey Kazliner adds that Kotsay suggested Buehler was not inclined to play in West Sacramento next season. That’s sure to be a common theme among free agents with any sort of strong market. The A’s will likely have to overpay to persuade free agents, as they did a few years back when handing out multi-year deals to utilitymen Aledmys Diaz and Jace Peterson (neither of which panned out well).
Even with a match unlikely, the Athletics’ interest in Buehler is of some note. It at least signals some intent to shop in a more expensive portion of the free agent pool than they did when signing players like Peterson, Diaz, Drew Rucinski and Shintaro Fujinami in recent offseasons. Buehler isn’t one of the top free agent arms on the market necessarily, but he’ll be a popular target in the second or third tier as clubs eye a potential rebound to the front-of-the-rotation form he showed earlier in his career, before missing the 2023 season while mending from his second Tommy John surgery.
Buehler’s regular season return in 2024 was decidedly sub-par. He pitched 75 1/3 innings with an ugly 5.38 ERA and career-worst strikeout and walk rates: 18.6% and 8.1%, respectively. His average four-seam fastball was 95 mph, about 1.4 mph down from its prior peak. His 8.2% swinging-strike rate ranked 190th among the 204 pitchers who pitched at least 70 innings in 2024 (starter or reliever).
Despite those struggles, injuries elsewhere on the staff thrust Buehler onto the postseason roster. His playoff run got out to a brutal start, as the Padres shelled him for six runs in five innings in his first appearance. It was smooth sailing from there. Buehler pitched 10 more shutout innings with a 13-to-4 K/BB ratio. That includes five shutout frames in Game 3 of the World Series. As fans surely remember, just 48 hours after that five-inning start in Game 3, Buehler came out of the ’pen to set down Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells and Alex Verdugo in order, earning a save as he clinched the Dodgers’ World Series championship. It wasn’t the heart of the Yankees’ order, but a World Series-clinching save on 48 hours’ rest is still quite the way to finish out a season.
Buehler’s postseason heroics have left a lasting impression on many fans and pundits, though it’s unclear if big league clubs feel the same. Today’s front offices aren’t typically swayed by a small sample of big-game excellence. At season’s end, Buehler looked like a candidate for a modest one-year deal. That was true even through his first postseason start. Will scoreless starts of four and five innings, plus one gutty relief outing to close out the championship substantially increase his earning power? It seems unlikely. The Dodgers, who know Buehler best of all and are in need of pitching themselves, declined to make him a $21.05MM qualifying offer.
It’s possible that Buehler’s pre-surgery excellence and memorable postseason finish spark some interest on relatively modest multi-year deals. The likelier path to a big free agent payday, however, would be a deal that affords him the opportunity to return to the market next season. Perhaps he could follow the Sean Manaea/Ross Stripling/Andrew Heaney mold and land a two-year pact in the mid-$20MMs with an opt-out provision. Many clubs, however, will view Buehler similarly to Jack Flaherty last offseason and hope to land him on a one-year pact with a solid salary. (Flaherty signed for $14MM.) The Braves are among the teams reported to have interest.
As for the A’s themselves, they’ll presumably bring in rotation help one way or another. JP Sears currently sits atop the staff, but there’s not much certainty thereafter. Last year’s Rule 5 pick, Mitch Spence, tossed 151 innings with a 4.58 ERA, good command and below-average strikeout numbers. Right-hander Joey Estes totaled 127 2/3 frames with even better command but even lower strikeout numbers and a 5.01 ERA. Righty J.T. Ginn had similar rate stats to both and a 4.24 ERA in a smaller sample of 34 innings. Twenty-nine-year-old swingman Osvaldo Bido mopped up 63 1/3 innings with a 3.41 ERA, a strong 24.3% strikeout rate and an ugly 10% walk rate. Flamethrowing righty Joe Boyle sat 98 mph with his heater but posted a 6.42 ERA while walking 17.7% of his opponents in 47 2/3 innings (10 starts). Lefties Hogan Harris and Brady Basso both made a handful of starts in 2024, but both are already 27 and posted more concerning numbers in the minors. The A’s will need some form of rotation help — it’s just a matter of whether they can sway some veteran starters to sign on in West Sacramento or whether they’ll need to pursue more help via trade.
RickEO
Stop. Please stop
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Sacramento A’s baseball is going to be exciting.
maxmilna
HahahahahahahahahahahahaajdncjvbfkeospxhchdbjjajajajaajajsbxbdidodjhHahahahahHhHahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahah
thebirds
A’s had also shown interest in things.
This one belongs to the Reds
Talk about a lot of days off…
Jerry Hairston Jr's Toupee
Waiting for Bauer to the Reds article….
This one belongs to the Reds
You’ll be waiting a LONG time.
AMiCk ĐOGEron
I would LOVE that.
bwmiller79
Bauer struck out 19 in the Mexican League, I’d sign him, he served his suspension, he was proven innocent with the court system. He can be signed inexpensively Id imagine, I don’t think there would be any negativity from the fans, if anything the guy was beloved by most of the youth who are the future of the game, Bauer and Franco, outside of probably Aaron Judge, were two of baseballs most liked players in regards to young fans. If they are innocent let them play, the fans will appreciate their return.
avenger65
bwmiller: Maybe Bauer should do some interviews – print, podcasts, whatever – to state his case or just answer baseball questions so he can show he isn’t the guy people make him out to be. IF he’s not the guy people make him out to be. Worth a shot.
Lets Go DBacks
Bauer is a piece of crap and I’m not even referring to him beating the hell out of women no matter how much they do or do not like it. If kids like this dude then, God almighty, earth is doomed.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
BWMiller79
Show me the evidence that Bauer was well liked by youth before he allegedly hit an unconscious young lady as part of consensual bdsm. He had a reputation for nasty twitter responses and being arrogant, such as covering one eye when pitching. I thought the suspension was fair, so if an owner was to hire him, it is ok with me because the suspension is over. But don’t make the guy out to be likable without evidence or people will laugh at you.
bwmiller79
I see kids wearing “Bring Bauer Back” tee shirts at Dodger’s spring training but no point in discussing it, always an ugly discussion. I contend that he was a fan favorite, could be wrong.
Flanster
I’ll believe it when I see it
Super2
Why would Walker degrade and humiliate himself like that?
Stieb Cooperstown
why stop at Buehler? sign Soto. Fisher is a joke.
Rexhudler86
So the a’s are interested, walker doesn’t want to play in Sacramento. So did I miss something.
Reynaldo's
These fluff pieces are getting more egregious.
Rsox
The A’s are looking at Buehler as a buy low rebound candidate mid-season trade chip. Unfortunately for them that is not how Buehler’s camp likely sees it
Pete'sView
Rsox — Nor is Buehler likely to want to rebuild his pitching resume in a minor league park.
bwmiller79
I’d say possible, but I’d also say that they could be looking to lock him into a long term contract that is relatively inexpensive in comparison to players like Corbin Burnes or Blake Snell, and if he returns to form, he is on that level. The A’s are close to being competitive, they have some nice offensive pieces in place, they know they have a window of about three to four years with the young prospects, time to sign some starting pitching. Buehler is a perfect fit, but will he want to pitch in Sacramento?
The Coliseum is a great ballpark, in the damn slum though, turning down that road to head into the Coliseum, trash everywear, it’s a real hole out there in Oakland. Oakland is a pit.
I guess my point is it will probably be hard to sign him away from the Dodgers.
LATrolleyDodger
I honestly think Walker does a 1 year deal with Dodgers
derail76
I think he’s out looking to see what his market is, and then he’ll circle back to the Dodgers. I think the Dodgers gave him the Kershaw treatment with declining the QO. Let him go see what his market is, with no time line. If he gets an offer that’s bigger than what the Dodgers want to do, then good for him, and he went out in the best way possible.
9/11ths
I bet when he heard that, it ruined his day.
Motor City Beach Bum
Tigers will sign him and set him straight just like they did with Flaherty.
Yankee Clipper
I could definitely see the Tigers grabbing this guy and getting him back to his prior self. Seems like a really good match.
vtadave
One may argue that he’s already back to his prior self.
abcrazy4dodgers
Or the Dodgers can retain him and continue his path of recovery right through the final pitch of the WS?
labial
Or the Dodgers can retain him and watch him break again?
JustGwynn
No player in the right mind will play in a minor league facility when they could easily sign with any other team.
King Floch
Look out AL West, here come the Nomadic Athletics!
fenwayfrank
plenty of other teams with actual $$$$ are interested. NOT A CHANCE>
Expos The Manfraud
The A’s should trade for the fringe non-tender candidates and sell them at the deadline. Beuhler isn’t happening but Romano wouldn’t have a choice.
Pete'sView
A’s need to sign extreme groundball pitchers.
jvent
The A’s don’t sign high players , the Mets need and should sign Buehler and Treinen
vtadave
Buehler is high?
shaft
I watched several games at Raley Field in Sacramento when it was the home of the A’s triple A team. I don’t remember a single game where heat was an issue.
It was a good place to watch a game or a concert. I could definitely see Sacramento as a long term location for the A’s.
Mikenmn
Let’s say this is unlikely….unless the player pays the team.
BlueSkies_LA
Nothing to see here, move along.
Acoss1331
The Athletics may want him, but I very much doubt Walker is signing with them. They’re going to have a difficult time getting free agents to come play for that team.
dano62
Maybe Ferris Bueller but no, stop pretending …
GB2
These showing interest articles are a waste of internet
chrisjaybecker
Buehler… Buehler… Buehler…
GangGreen23
Should have Drafted him instead of Florida gators shortstop Richie Martin back in 2015.
MatthewStairs
Galaxy brained John Fisher’s travelling minor league circus is going to provide plenty of entertainment for the next few years.
Rexhudler86
Buehler, is going to get signed by a team in contention. It’s takes about two years to bounce back from tj.
disadvantage
Yeah, but I’ve “shown interest” in Jessica Alba, and I am also very cheap and I also borrowing places until I get my hypothetical dream home in 2028. Why didn’t a celebrity rumors website ever give me a write-up?
Old York
I like the fit. Nice to see an owner trying to improve his team’s competitiveness.
GarryHarris
The As are the 31st possible team Walker Buehler signs with.
avenger65
Garry: No need to drag the White Sox into this.
GarryHarris
The ChiSox aren’t among the top 30 either.
bwmiller79
One name in the article that has been of interest to me is Shintaro Fujinama, I’ve liked him since he came over with the A’s a few years ago, they traded him to Baltimore, and I guess he is a FA this off season. Hoping the White Sox sign him.
Cheeseman Forever
Not quite up there with “KC interested in Soto” but close.
rockingryan
I’m an ace fan. However, they can show interest in anyone they want… The question is will anyone show interest in them?
The biggest tr0ll
Didn’t I say these writers are crazy? Ain’t no way. They trollin’ more than me
Philly A's
According to a report, Kotsay said Buehler said no because of playing in Sacramento. I think the A’s will have to overpay to get anyone of interest to sign.
$900 million to Soto!
stwawk
Why is a rumor like this given any attention? All it does it give publicity to the club and get the hopes up of a handful of naive fans. The A’s signing Buehler is almost as much of a joke as the Rays signing Soto.