Walker Buehler's logical response to latest free agent offer proves MLB has a problem

Fans hopeful to see a Dodgers-Walker Buehler reunion may end up sorely disappointed this offseason. They didn't extend him the qualifying offer, which made sense — Buehler made a little over $8 million this year in arbitration and definitely didn't do enough to warrant a $21.05 million payday next season — and their interest in the top three free agent pitchers on the market (Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, Max Fried) does make it seem like their heads are being turned.

There have been some reports that the Dodgers have communicated with Buehler about a potential reunion, but he's fully at liberty to explore all of his options, just like the Dodgers, and he could be enticed by offers from other clubs.

The now-semi-homeless Athletics will not be one of them. Athletics manager Mark Kotsay was transparent at USC's Sports Business Administration Summit this week, saying that the A's had spoken to Buehler, but he'd shot down talks quickly, saying that he wasn't inclined to play in Sacramento. That's where the A's will be housed at Sutter Health Park while they wait for their new stadium in Las Vegas to be completed in 2027, which would likely comprise Buehler's entire "A's" tenure.

While this is a perfectly reasonable response, it also reinforces exactly how much of a mess MLB has made of the A's relocation over these past few years.

Dodgers' Walker Buehler was quick to shoot down conversations with Athletics in free agency

This is funny, but it's also really sad. You don't have to be a fan of the A's to recognize that owner John Fisher and MLB's decision to move the team, and the way they've been handling it, has been nothing short of egregious. Until they're officially housed in Las Vegas, the Athletics will go without a city marker attached to their name and will be listed as ATH in shorthand.

Sutter Health Park houses the Giants' Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and the two teams will share all of the facilities while the A's are there.

Understandably, there is little to no incentive for free agents to sign with the A's, especially not players like Buehler, who will probably sign short-term deals that mean they'll never play in the brand new Vegas stadium.

The A's have been been given short shrift by the league for a very long time now, but this is affecting their immediate future dramatically, and it won't exactly make potential fans in Vegas excited about rooting for them.