The New York Yankees got to know most of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff during the World Series. One of those hurlers, Walker Buehler, had a brilliant outing in Game 3 of the Fall Classic, tossing five scoreless frames against the Bombers with two hits, two walks and five strikeouts.
According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Yankees have shown interest in Buehler as a free agent, which is not surprising: despite his 5.38 ERA in the 2024 regular season, the right-hander looked a lot like his usual dominant self in the playoffs with a 3.86 ERA in 14 frames.
In his last three postseason appearances (a start against the New York Mets, the aforementioned outings vs. the Yankees, and a save chance in the deciding Game 5 against the Bombers), Buehler tossed 10 scoreless frames with 13 punchouts.
Per Morosi, however, the interest is mutual, which gives the Yankees some hope that they can add a potentially top pitcher without having to pay top dollar.
Buehler has had some injury-related issues in recent seasons, most notably two Tommy John surgeries in his career. However, he closed out the 2024 postseason in dominant fashion and might be finally rounding into his pre-surgery form.
Buehler has a rock-solid 3.27 career ERA, and despite being around forever, he just turned 30 years old in July. The Yankees could give him a nice platform with a top young pitching coach and a competitive roster in place to keep pushing for individual and collective achievements.
The off-season is usually full of rumors and gossip, but this report comes from a reliable source, and it makes sense from just about any angle. The Yankees could certainly use a high-upside pitcher, and Buehler would benefit from excellent coaching and a surefire spot in a competitive rotation.