Now that the World Series is over, players entering 2024 in the final year of their contracts are eligible for free agency.

First, MLB will observe a five-day “quiet period” during which these free agents can only negotiate with their current team.

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Perhaps no player has increased his free agent stock in the last week than Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler.

After throwing five shutout innings in Game 3 against the New York Yankees, Buehler was one of the few sympathetic pitchers available to manager Dave Roberts for the final inning of Game 5.

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Buehler struck out 1-2-3 in the ninth inning to complete the Dodgers' 7-6 victory. In the sixth inning, the Dodgers and Yankees were tied at 5-5 when Buehler walked to the Dodgers' bullpen in preparation for a possible late-game appearance. The 30-year-old right-hander hadn't pitched in relief since 2018 – and never in the postseason.

After Blake Treinen threw a scoreless pitch in the eighth inning to preserve the Dodgers' one-run lead, Buehler followed up with his second game-winning performance of the World Series.

The ending was a triumphant one for a pitcher who struggled at times in his first season after the second Tommy John surgery of his career. Buehler went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 16 regular season starts.

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While that might have been enough to disqualify him from the postseason roster in some years, the injury-plagued Dodgers rotation needed Buehler despite — not because of — his performance.

The San Diego Padres fired Buehler for six runs in the second inning of Game 3 of the National League Division Series. But that was the only inning of Buehler's 15 innings played this postseason in which he allowed a run.

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In a post-game interview with David Vassegh on SportsNet LA, Buehler acknowledged how deeply he was feeling the toll of his years of struggles, which included missing nearly two months due to a hip injury.

“I thought I was going to be released,” Buehler told Vassegh.

“I don’t think you’ll be released now,” Vassegh replied.

“We’ll see,” Buehler said before returning to his cheering teammates in the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium.

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Obviously, even in a moment of triumph, Buehler's free agent status wasn't far from his grasp.

Buehler is eligible for a qualifying offer, a one-year contract worth $21.05 million through 2025. Although such a high salary seemed unimaginable at the start of October, it's now worth asking whether Buehler is good enough this offseason has pitched to receive the qualifying offer.

Would he accept the Dodgers' qualifying offer or instead test the free agent waters for the first time? As Bühler himself said: We'll see.

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