The Los Angeles Dodgers might be so good in 2025 that they're turning down former All-Stars.
Oddly enough, the Dodgers' rotation was thin this postseason, boasting only three starters, two of whom are now free agents. But with Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow returning from injury and Blake Snell signing in LA, the Dodgers now appear to have the top rotation in the sport.
But where does that leave those two free agents? Jack Flaherty started Game 1 of both the National League Championship Series and World Series, but he might not have a spot in this Dodgers rotation. And the other of the two seems even less likely to return.
Walker Buehler, 30, has been a two-time Dodgers All-Star and closed out the clinching game of the Fall Classic. But after recovering slowly from Tommy John surgery and having a rough regular season, the longtime Dodgers rotation fixture could be headed elsewhere.
If Buehler leaves Los Angeles, perhaps he could don a similar shade of blue in 2025. Caleb Moody of Just Baseball recently named the Kansas City Royals as a strong fit for Buehler in free agency.
"October proved that Buehler's far better than what we saw in the 2024 regular season, meaning he's an ideal bounce-back candidate to be a four or a five in the Royals rotation and has the upside to be an arm that could easily challenge the top three," Moody said.
"He's not going to get the contract we thought he would get back when he was dominating in 2021, due to the risk he showed this year prior to October, which means the Royals have an opportunity to get a real upside arm for a fraction of the price."
During the regular season, Buehler had a 5.38 ERA in 14 starts, pitching to a 1-5 record. The Dodgers aren't likely to take a risk on him repeating that performance when the rest of their rotation is so stacked, but his 3.04 career postseason ERA will be tantalizing for other clubs.
Buehler to the Royals makes a lot of sense. KC isn't known for spending big, but they quietly ramped up their payroll at a similar time last year, and it paid off with a playoff berth. Plus, now that they've traded Brady Singer, they could use another starter.
If Buehler is going to walk no matter what, the Royals are at least a team the Dodgers wouldn't have to see until the World Series. But if they somehow do meet there, LA knows firsthand how scary facing the fiery righty can be in the Fall Classic.