The Cleveland Guardians have a hole to fill in their rotation this winter. Foster Griffin is a free agent and is expected to land a contract well beyond what Cleveland usually pays, which leaves the club looking for dependable innings behind Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee and Parker Messick. The front office is not going to spend big on a top starter, but that has never been how this organization operates. Cleveland has a long history of finding value in pitchers other teams have given up on, and one former ace fits that profile perfectly. Walker Buehler is a free agent again after a bounce back season in San Diego, and before the season he said his focus was getting “the velocity back as well as the delivery.”
Buehler’s 2026 season was a real step forward. After a rough 2025 that included a release from Boston, he signed a minor league deal with the Padres in February, turning down major league offers elsewhere for the chance to pitch for a contender. The deal guaranteed him only $1.5 million, with bonuses that could push it to $2.5 million. He earned a spot in the rotation and kept it all year.
The numbers were solid, if not spectacular. Buehler went 9-6 with a 4.63 ERA over 32 starts and 153 2/3 innings, striking out 131 batters. Those 32 starts were his most since 2021, and staying healthy for a full season mattered more than anything for a pitcher who has had two Tommy John surgeries in his career.
The upside is what makes him so intriguing. Before his second elbow surgery, Buehler was one of the best pitchers in baseball. He was a two time All Star with the Dodgers, finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting in 2021 after going 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA over 207 1/3 innings, and has won two World Series rings. He also has a long track record in big postseason moments, including recording the final outs of the 2024 World Series.
There are concerns. His strikeout rate has dropped from more than 10 per nine innings at his peak to 7.7 this season, and he allowed 1.3 home runs per nine innings. His ERA was also below league average for the third straight year. Buehler is no longer the pitcher he was in Los Angeles, and anyone signing him has to know that.
That is where Cleveland comes in. The Guardians are known for helping veterans refine their arsenal and get more out of their stuff. Ben Lively became a reliable starter in Cleveland after bouncing around the league, and Matthew Boyd turned a short stint in 2024 coming off elbow surgery into a big payday. Buehler would arrive with far more pedigree than either of them, and a few tweaks to his pitch mix could make a real difference.
The price should be right, too. After his bounce back year, Buehler will likely earn more than he did in San Diego, but he is still expected to land a short, affordable deal rather than a long term contract. A one year agreement would give Cleveland a durable veteran to eat innings at the back of the rotation without hurting the payroll.
The Guardians do not need Buehler to be an ace again. They need someone who can take the ball every fifth day and give the team a chance to win. If Cleveland’s pitching staff can unlock even a little more of what made him special, he could be one of the best bargains of the offseason.
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