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Right-hander Walker Buehler and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a one-year, $21.05 million contract, sources told ESPN, sending the pitcher who secured the final out of the World Series this year to a team loading up on starting pitching as it pivots toward contention.

The deal, first reported by Yahoo Sports, includes an additional $2.5 million in performance bonuses, sources said.

Buehler, a 30-year-old two-time All-Star who was among the game’s best starters from 2018 to 2021, was one of the most fascinating free agents this winter. After undergoing a second Tommy John surgery in 2022, Buehler returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers and allowed a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts.

He remained in the Dodgers’ postseason rotation and reinforced his previously established big-game bona fides, throwing four shutout innings in a National League Championship Series win, providing five more shutout innings in a World Series win and then returning on one day’s rest to lock down Los Angeles’ championship in the ninth inning of a wild Game 5 against the New York Yankees.

Boston hopes Buehler can be every bit as good this October. The Red Sox, who scored the ninth-most runs in baseball last year and have the three best hitting prospects in the game in outfielder Roman Anthony, infielder/outfielder Kristian Campbell and shortstop Marcelo Mayer, went into this winter seeking pitching. And though the shape of it materialized slowly, the Red Sox have managed to add high-upside pitching at a low financial cost.

A blockbuster trade landed them left-hander Garrett Crochet, who projects to be the Red Sox’s Opening Day starter for the next two years at low arbitration salaries. And they paid $18.25 million for two years of left-hander Patrick Sandoval, who is expected to return from Tommy John surgery around August.

Buehler carved a reputation as the best kind of bully on the mound — one who backs up elite stuff with presence and attitude to match. With a four-seam fastball that sat at 96-97 mph and regularly painted the four corners of the strike zone, Buehler could win games with his heater alone. He also happened to throw a cutter, curveball, slider, changeup and sinker, flummoxing hitters on the regular.

His best year came in 2021, a season after he helped lead the Dodgers to their first World Series title since 1988. Buehler went 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA in 207⅔ innings, striking out 212 and walking 52. He finished fourth in tightly contested NL Cy Young voting.

Elbow injuries sidelined Buehler for a chunk of 2022 before he underwent a Tommy John revision with a flexor repair. Players coming back from a second elbow reconstruction — Buehler had his first in 2015, right after the Dodgers chose him with the 24th overall pick — work on longer timetables than the typical Tommy John return. Buehler missed all of 2023 and returned in May of this year without his most explosive stuff. Before going on the injured list in June with right hip inflammation, he had struck out just 31 in 37 innings

When he returned in August, Buehler didn’t fare any better. Injuries to the Dodgers’ rotation reinforced that he was a vital part of their October plans. Over his career, he had put up a 2.94 ERA and struck out 101 in 79⅔ postseason innings. His performance in the 2024 playoffs looked far closer to vintage Buehler than he previously had shown, and his willingness to take a one-year deal rather than pursue a multiyear pact suggests Buehler likewise believes the postseason was merely a preview of what’s to come.

If Boston can get the best versions of Crochet and Buehler, as well as a healthy return from Sandoval, their pitching depth will be a distinct strength. The Red Sox also return right-handers Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Lucas Giolito, the latter of whom is also coming back from Tommy John surgery.

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Bruins show love to emotional Marchand in return

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Bruins show love to emotional Marchand in return

BOSTON — The Little Ball of Hate still has a lot of love back in Boston.

Brad Marchand appeared to be holding back tears on the ice when the TD Garden crowd gave him a standing ovation Tuesday night during his first game as a Bruins opponent. The 37-year-old forward tapped his heart, wiped his face and waved to the crowd as both teams banged their sticks against the ice and even the referee and each linesperson clapped along.

The last remaining member of Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team, Marchand was traded to the Panthers last season for another chance at a title. He helped Florida complete its pursuit of back-to-back championships, while the Bruins plummeted to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

In his first game back as a Panther, the Boston crowd cheered him off the ice after the pregame warmups, as the TD Garden DJ played a mashup of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Marchand responded with a stick salute as he headed off via the visitors bench.

Fans wearing Marchand’s Boston and Florida No. 63 jerseys cheered again during introductions for the former Bruins captain. (They booed when he drew a tripping penalty just 33 seconds into the game, then gave a mixed reaction when the Panthers scored on the power play — a goal that first appeared to be Marchand’s but was credited to Mackie Samoskevich; Marchand picked up an assist.)

But things got really emotional during a commercial break midway through the first period, when the scoreboard showed a highlight reel from Marchand’s time in Boston — including shots of him raising the Stanley Cup, and ending with him posing with the captain’s “C” that he wore for just one full season.

Florida ended up winning the game, 4-3, on a last-minute goal.

A four-time All-Star who had 422 goals and 554 assists in 16 seasons in Boston, Marchand remains in the Bruins’ top 10 for goals, assists, short-handed and overtime goals, playoff goals and points. His 1,090 games played is fourth in team history, one spot ahead of Don Sweeney, the general manager who dealt him to Florida at the trade deadline.

Marchand did play in the TD Garden as a visitor in February when he suited up for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Although he was still a member of the Bruins, the Boston fans booed him.

He was traded to Florida a few weeks later as Boston sold off its roster and began a rebuild. But when the Panthers visited for the Bruins’ first home game after the trade deadline, Marchand was injured and skated on the Garden ice only in practice.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Back from IR, Oilers D Walman nets winner in OT

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Back from IR, Oilers D Walman nets winner in OT

OTTAWA — Defenseman Jake Walman, activated from injured reserve on Monday after missing the season’s first six games with an injury, scored in overtime on Tuesday night, lifting the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators.

Walman, a late-season acquisition last year who helped Edmonton back to the Stanley Cup Finals, was injured in a preseason game on Sept. 21, but the 28-year-old veteran picked up where he left off on Tuesday. He finished with 25 shifts across 18:51 of ice time, and registered four blocks.

The Oilers wrapped up their five-game road trip and handed the Senators their second consecutive loss on home ice.

The Senators scored twice in a span of 1:25 to tie the game 2-2 early in the third. Ottawa got on the board after winning a puck battle along the boards. Drake Batherson dished a pass to Dylan Cozens who scored on the power play past Stuart Skinner, who made 19 saves. Just over a minute later Thomas Chabot beat a screened Skinner to tie the game.

The Oilers opened the scoring late in the first with a power-play goal when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins fed Connor McDavid, who snapped a shot from the top of the faceoff circle for his first of the season.

Edmonton extended its lead to 2-0 just 49 seconds into the second period after a turnover by the Senators. Leon Draisaitl skated in before sliding a pass back to rookie Isaac Howard, who beat Linus Ullmark, who finished with 22 saves, for his first career NHL goal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Hughes’ 3rd career hat trick lifts surging Devils

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Hughes' 3rd career hat trick lifts surging Devils

TORONTO — Jack Hughes registered the third hat trick of his NHL career, and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Cody Glass and Brenden Dillon also scored for New Jersey, and Jake Allen had 23 saves. Jesper Bratt added three assists for the Devils, who have won five in a row since opening the season with a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

John Tavares and Matias Maccelli scored for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz stopped 30 shots. William Nylander had two assists for the Maple Leafs, who have lost two in a row and four of six after a season-opening win.

Toronto led 1-0 after the first period before giving up three goals in the first five minutes of the second much to the dismay of the home crowd at Scotiabank Arena.

Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev left with an upper-body injury during a second-period penalty kill after he collided with Devils center Dawson Mercer.

Toronto challenged New Jersey’s first goal for goaltender interference only to see the call on the ice stand. The Devils went on the power play with the ensuing delay-of-game penalty, and Glass made it 2-1 moments after Tanev skated off to the locker room.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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