Well, that sure is a crappy Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza gift for Dodger fans.

Yes. Walker Buhler signed a contract with the Red Sox that exactly matched the Dodgers’ qualifying offer not Make an offer to Bühler before the deadline.

The longer he remained a free agent, the less likely he seemed to come back. And after the signing Blake Snell and still looking for Roki Sasakithe rotation got pretty full. Still, one would think the Dodgers would have found a way to bring Buehler back — especially on a one-year deal — rather than let him go.

I don’t really want to hear about the luxury tax or the fact that Buehler wasn’t very good for most of last season. My brain understands this, but my heart doesn’t. After watching the boys party during the parade, it’s hard not to want to get the band back together. Most of the time, this is a recipe for failure. In this case, however, the Dodgers could have found room for Walker — if they wanted to. Unfortunately, they didn’t want to pay double because of the luxury tax penalties.

As I said, I don’t want to hear about it, and I don’t care about Guggenheim’s money either. This is the bed they made, and after winning the World Series, they will rake in money for next year.

That must be why they are so adamant about postponing a potential Teoscar Hernandez contract. Speaking of which: Can we please get this done? It’s one thing to lose this version of Buehler, but losing Hernandez — who fills dual needs as an outfielder and right-handed power bat — because the Dodgers are worried about money seems terribly stupid. But I digress.

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Buehler has been with the Dodgers his entire career after being selected with the 24th pick in the 2015 MLB Draft. He needed Tommy John Shortly after signing, he had to undergo surgery, which was the reason he fell to No. 24 in the first place. After strong performances from 2018 (including the postseason) through 2021, he appeared to be on the fast track to a $150 million-plus payday before things got derailed due to injuries. He fought back and was a big reason why the Dodgers didn’t have to play a sixth game of the 2024 World Series. If Buehler hadn’t been able to throw an inning on a day’s rest, who knows how Game 5 would have turned out. I’m reasonably confident they would have still won the series, but the difficulty would have been increased a bit.

It’s a shame that Buehler will wear another team’s jersey. I’m glad it got paid, I just wish it had been with Los Angeles. With this move, the Dodgers appear to be in “Sasaki or bust” mode, assuming they don’t make it Corbin Burnes agree with one short term deal.

We hope they can figure out the wage and salary situation, because if they use the impact of the luxury tax as a reason for not signing players without securing a deferment, that will be a bit disappointing. We’ll see how the rest of the offseason plays out. There is still some good talent available, and the Dodgers have the opportunity to acquire it regardless of the impact of the luxury tax.