Several teams are showing interest in right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler (30), who was once considered the next ace of the Los Angeles Dodgers after Clayton Kershaw. Among them, the New York Yankees, who lost to the Dodgers in this year's World Series and finished second, are showing interest in recruiting Buehler.

"The Yankees and Buehler are interested in each other," said John Paul Morosi of "MLB Network" on the 23rd. "The Yankees are working on strengthening their starting rotation in the offseason."

Buehler entered the FA market after the 2024 season. Since the Dodgers did not offer Buehler a qualifying offer, the team that recruits Buehler does not receive a draft pick, or compensation such as an international contract bonanza.토토사이트

Buehler, the Dodgers' first-round pick in 2015, made his MLB debut in 2017. Buehler, who ranked third in the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year vote, became the center of the Dodgers' starting lineup, beating Kershaw, who was on the decline, with 14 wins (four losses) in 2019 and a 3.26 ERA and 16 wins (four losses) in 2021.

However, he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022, was out for the season, and rested for the entire season until 2023, and returned to the team in May this year, but showed the worst performance with 1-6 losses and an ERA of 5.38. He expressed doubts about his health by leaving the team for a long time due to hip inflammation.

However, when Buehler entered the postseason, he showed a 180-degree change. In particular, he became the winning pitcher with two hits and five strikeouts in five innings in Game 3 of the World Series against the Yankees, and in Game 5, when the championship was decided, he took the mound in the ninth inning with a 7-6 lead to secure the Dodgers' victory with his own hands.

At this time, it makes sense that the Yankees, who watched Buehler's performance in front of their eyes, showed interest in Buehler. In particular, Buehler's fastball speed seemed to decline slightly from 2021 to this year's regular season, but exceeded 96 miles (about 154.5 kilometers) on average in the World Series. As long as he is fit and healthy in the spring camp, he is competitive enough.