Red Sox $21 million starter tabbed as 'strong candidate' to be traded

The Boston Red Sox are 31-35. They are 9 1/2 games back of the American League East lead, but are not guaranteed to be sellers at the trade deadline.

The Red Sox could still make a push for the postseason, but things will have to turn around fast. If they are out of contention by the July 31 deadline, they could start to trade some assets to build for the future. Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller tabbed Walker Buehler as a "strong candidate" to be traded this summer.

"Goodness only knows where Boston will be or what it will be doing at the trade deadline, but Buehler hasn't been the asset they were hoping for, both with a sub-mediocre 5.18 ERA and already missing nearly a month on the IL," wrote Miller. "If the Red Sox put him on the trade block, though, plenty of contenders will be reminded of Buehler's 10 scoreless innings of work between last year's NLCS and World Series."

Buehler got brutally honest about his struggles after his last start, and knows he needs to play better after signing a one-year, $21 million deal in the offseason. His deal includes a $25 million mutual option next year.

"This organization put a lot of faith in me this offseason and I've been (expletive) embarrassing for us," Buehler told reporters after his last start.

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Buehler has struggled, but he can be an elite player for any contender when the calendar turns to October. His postseason success and experience alone could make him a target for teams.

Last postseason, Buehler had a 3.60 ERA. He gave up six earned runs, and they all came in the second inning of his first start. After that, he made three appearances, spanning nine innings and struck out 13 batters. Most impressive, however, was his World Series clinching save on one day of rest.

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