CHICAGO – Trying to pin down Mark Buehrle on his plans for the future is nearly as difficult as squaring him up at the plate.
After his gem in Monday night’s 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox, when all four runs against the Toronto Blue Jays lefty were unearned, the 36-year-old faced questions from local media on whether the outing might have been his last at U.S. Cellular Field, where he starred for 12 years.
Buehrle, who’s avoided such talk all season long, continued to remain evasive.
"I don’t know for sure what’s going to happen after this year," he said when asked if he was treating this series any different. "It’s not like I’m soaking it in the last game of each series. We just left Detroit and if it is over and that’s the last time I’m going there I didn’t treat it like it was different than any other game."
Uncertainty about his fate is a point Buehrle repeated over and over.
The root of it?
"I’m a free agent so if no one gives me contract then what am I going to do?" he said. "I can’t foresee the future, I don’t know."
Asked if he’s sick of pitching, he replied: "Sometimes I am, sometimes I’m not."
As for whether a return to the South Side might be in the offing, Buehrle wasn’t playing into it.
"They didn’t want me back four years ago," he said, "Who’s going to say they want me back now?"
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DOUBRONT STARTS: Felix Doubront makes his first start for the Blue Jays on Tuesday against the White Sox after he wasn’t needed in a pinch Monday night.
The left-hander’s start will be his first in the majors since surrendering six runs on six hits and three walks in 2.1 innings for the Chicago Cubs against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Sept. 20.
Signed to a minor-league deal in April, he had his contract selected from triple-A Buffalo last week after Matt Boyd failed to record an out against the Boston Red Sox. He made his Blue Jays debut in relief Friday against the Detroit Tigers, allowing a run on three hits in 2.1 innings.
