Former Dodgers Star Walker Buehler Signs With San Diego Padres

Walker Buehler has signed pinch nan San Diego Padres aft nan right-hander spent nan first 8 seasons of his awesome convention profession pinch their archrivals, the Dodgers.

Buehler was successful nan Padres’ clubhouse Tuesday greeting aft agreeing to a insignificant convention woody pinch an invitation to large convention camp.

“Yeah, it feels a small weird,” Buehler told reporters successful Arizona aft pulling connected a brownish and golden uniform. “I ideate 5 years agone it would person felt a batch much weird, but this is simply a crazy crippled and this is simply a awesome opportunity for me.”

The 31-year-old Buehler said he will “come successful and effort and make nan squad and lend successful immoderate measurement I can. I’m a starter, and I want to start, truthful I’m present to effort and make nan rotation.”

Buehler spent past play pinch Boston and Philadelphia, which signed him successful precocious August aft nan Red Sox released him. Buehler struggled successful Boston, but looked bully capable during his little clip pinch nan Phillies to make liking from nan Padres and different teams.

“I threw nan shot good complete there, and getting nan velocity backmost arsenic good arsenic nan transportation has benignant of been nan large thing,” Buehler said. “The 2nd half of past twelvemonth was comparatively successful compared to nan first half, and there’s worldly we want to proceed to build connected there.”

Buehler earned 2 All-Star selections and 2 World Series rings during his 10 years successful nan Dodgers organization, serving arsenic a champion successful their rotation whenever patient and often looking for illustration 1 of nan majors’ apical starters. He has been peculiarly bully against nan Padres successful his career, going 7-1 pinch a 1.67 ERA and 83 strikeouts successful 13 starts.

He won Game 3 of nan 2024 World Series earlier earning nan prevention successful nan Dodgers’ clinching Game 5 triumph astatine Yankee Stadium, capping his return to azygous pinch a gritty Fall Classic. He had missed nan full 2023 play and large chunks of 2024 while recovering from his 2nd Tommy John surgery.

But that memorable alleviation inning successful Game 5 to sphere a 7-6 triumph complete nan Yankees was his last quality for nan Dodgers, who allowed Buehler to time off arsenic a free supplier for a lucrative woody pinch Boston. After 1 tumultuous twelvemonth backmost East, he’s eager to beryllium backmost successful nan NL West pinch nan Padres, who person 2 openings successful their rotation.

“Obviously immoderate familiarity pinch nan division, and surviving successful Southern California is thing that my family and I are accustomed to,” Buehler said. “A bully opportunity to beryllium a portion of a really talented ballclub. Looking guardant to seeing what we tin make of it.”

Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove and Michael King already person spots successful San Diego’s rotation. Buehler will beryllium competing for nan last 2 slots pinch returnees Randy Vásquez and JP Sears and recently signed Germán Márquez and Griffin Canning.

Buehler said he moved retired West during nan offseason to hole for different tally astatine nan majors, and “got my assemblage successful a small amended spot.”

Buehler said his transportation is returning to nan level and shape astatine which he spent his first six large convention seasons pinch nan Dodgers earlier elbow surgery.

“My elbow and my assemblage has benignant of been done immoderate stuff,” he said.

Buehler is 57-29 pinch a 3.52 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP complete his decade successful nan majors. He has topped 150 strikeouts 3 times.