"I think this team is ready to be able to compete in the division and in the whole league,” said Buehler, a free agent righthander who signed a one-year, $21.05 million deal with the Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox missed the postseason for the third straight season after finishing with a record of 81-81 and coming in third place in the American League East. Although the Red Sox have had a few tough years,

If Walker Buehler had hit free agency after, say, the 2021 season when he posted a 2.47 ERA over 33 starts with the Dodgers, he likely would have commanded one of the biggest contracts for a pitcher in baseball history. That wasn’t the case. The 30-year-old’s first foray into the open market came at a much-different point in his career.