The Los Angeles Dodgers won it all in 2024, but several players that helped the organization win its eighth World Series title have entered free agency. One key free agent is right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler, a player the Dodgers could’ve extended a qualifying offer to, but chose not to.

The question is why? Had the Dodgers offered Buehler a $21.05 million qualifying offer, he likely would’ve begrudgingly accepted, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.

“The qualifying offer would have damaged Buehler in the market, leaving him with almost no choice but to accept,” Rosenthal wrote. “The Dodgers, as a team that will pay the luxury tax, only would have received a pick after the fourth round if he rejected. This way, Buehler can negotiate a multiyear deal with the team of his choosing. Conceivably, that team could be the Dodgers. But other teams might value Buehler more.”

There is speculation that after the signing of free agent pitcher Blake Snell, Buehler won’t be returning to Los Angeles. In an interview with Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain, MLB insider Bob Nightengale believes there isn’t room for Buehler.

“So, I think some teams will jump on Buehler and give him a nice back-loaded one-year contract, with a player option for a second year,” Nightengale said. “He was great in the postseason — or solid, I should say. Great in the back end. He came out in the ninth inning of Game 5, particularly, being a free agent coming off the surgery and everything else. Great team player. But I would doubt it now. It’s like, where does he actually fit? You already have seven, eight starters. Particularly, like you said, if you get the young pitcher, Roki Sasaki, from Japan — there’s really no room for him or Flaherty.”

Although Buehler had a trying 2024 campaign, when the lights were brightest, the right-hander was the a reliable option for the Dodgers. Beyond his Game 5 heroics in the ninth, Buehler pitched 10 scoreless innings in his last three playoff outings for the Dodgers.

After Buehler’s performance in October, he certainly proved to teams around the league that he is a pitcher that, not only handles the pressure, but thrives when the pressure has reached its peak. It’ll be interesting to see where Buehler lands by the end of the offseason.