With Zack Wheeler set to miss the rest of 2025, the Philadelphia Phillies are giving Walker Buehler a look in September. The Phillies signed Buehler on Sunday, the team announced, so he will be eligible for their postseason roster. The postseason roster eligibility deadline is 11:59 p.m. ET Sunday night. Buehler was officially signed on a minor-league deal and will initially report to Triple-A.
Buehler, 31, pitched to a 5.45 ERA with poor under-the-hood numbers (5.88 FIP and 5.69 xERA) in 112 ⅓ innings across 22 starts and one relief appearance with the Boston Red Sox. They released him earlier this week and are responsible for the remainder of his $21.05 million salary less the prorated portion of the league minimum, which the Phillies must cover.
Even without Wheeler, the Phillies have five starting pitchers. This was their rotation depth chart prior to the Buehler signing:
RHP Zack Wheeler(out for 2025)- LHP Cristopher Sánchez
- LHP Jesús Luzardo
- LHP Ranger Suárez
- RHP Aaron Nola
- RHP Taijuan Walker
- RHP Alan Rangel
Walker has been a pleasant surprise, throwing 101 ⅔ innings with a 3.63 ERA in a swingman role. He’s made 17 starts and nine relief appearances, including nine straight starts given injuries to Nola and now Wheeler.
It’s unclear how the Phillies intend to use Buehler, though presumably everything is on the table. Short relief, long relief, swingman, starter, etc. If nothing else, Buehler brings big-market and big-game experience to a Phillies team with designs on winning the World Series, not simply reaching the postseason.
The Phillies entered play Sunday atop the NL East with a 79-57 record. They are 6 ½ games up on the New York Mets.