Philadelphia agreed to a Minor League deal with Buehler on Sunday, the club announced, and he will be eligible to pitch for the Phillies in the postseason. He was assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Buehler agreed to a one-year, $21.05 million deal with the Red Sox last winter, but his time in Boston was a disappointment, as he went 7-7 with a 5.45 ERA in 23 games (22 starts) before being released on Friday. Buehler had been demoted to the bullpen on Aug. 22, but one relief appearance against the Yankees was all it took for the Sox to decide he wasn’t going to be a meaningful part of the bullpen moving forward.
The Phillies are likely to use Buehler as a starter once he returns to the bigs, as they recently lost Zack Wheeler for the season after he was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, which will require surgery. He could ultimately serve as a swingman or spot starter for the club.
Philadelphia’s rotation currently consists of Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Aaron Nola and Jesús Luzardo.
Buehler’s 16.6% strikeout percentage this season is a career low, while his 10.7% walk rate is his highest since his first season (2017), when he threw only 9 1/3 innings. His 6.7 strikeouts per nine innings, 4.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 22 home runs allowed in 2025 are also career worsts for the 31-year-old.
The Phillies will pay Buehler only one month of the minimum league salary ($760,000), while the Red Sox remain on the hook for the remainder of his contract.
In another move Sunday, the Phillies claimed left-hander Tim Mayza off waivers from the Pirates. The 33-year-old made seven appearances for Pittsburgh this season, posting a 2.89 ERA over 9 1/3 innings.
