While Major League Baseball’s 2019 season is in full swing, Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel remain haunting the league into the start of it. Kimbrel is holding out for a $15 million per year contract to fall into his lap. Keuchel, on the other hand, has made it known he is open to signing a one-year deal. This would hopefully get the former Houston Astros ace back on the mound sooner rather than later.
Dallas Keuchel Could Upgrade Philadelphia’s Rotation
The Phillies were at one point linked to in the Kimbrel discussion. They soon found the price to be a little higher than they had imagined. With GM Matt Klentak and Manager Gabe Kapler still trying to boost their rotation, Keuchel might just be the missing ace to their World Series run.
Keuchel has been reported to be open to a one-year contract before resetting. This was reported by Buster Olney.
Heard this read on Dallas Keuchel's market today: He's open to a good 1-year deal; San Diego could be the best fit. Padres off to a good start. For Keuchel, pitching in big parks of NL West a nice pitstop for 2019. SD ownership has demonstrated it'll go above/beyond for 2019.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) April 14, 2019
Keuchel understands that for him to get back on the mound this year, he is going to need to sign soon. Hence, he opened up for one year. However, that one year could turn into a career in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia took to free agency this season like a roaring lion landing Andrew McCutchen, J.T. Realmuto, Jean Segura, and Bryce Harper. This put Philadelphia instantly as a major contender in the National League. However, the pitching woes for the Phillies has started to rear its ugly head.
Pitching Needs
Standing as one of MLB’s top teams, Keuchel will immediately slide into the starting rotation for struggling Jerad Eickhoff. Eickhoff just moved into the rotation for Nick Pivetta who allowed an excruciating 24 hits in 13.1 innings with an ERA of 9.45. Keuchel showed what he brings to the table in 2015. He posted a record of 20-8 with a career-best 2.48 ERA and a Major League-best WHIP of 1.017, finishing as a Cy Young Award winner.
Philadelphia’s pitching woes continue as it looks like the 33-year-old Jake Arrieta is the only pitcher that can handle his own in the rotation. Opponents are batting .276 against the Phillies this season which ranks 27th among all of MLB.
Another reason Philadelphia is the best landing spot for Keuchel is that the Phillies have the best and fastest track to get him back into a Major League rotation. No one can honestly expect Keuchel to come in and start pitching at the level he is capable of after months of no pitching.
Best Road to Majors
To get back to MLB as quickly as possible, the Phillies farm system offers him the best he can get. The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate) is currently 12-4. Sitting atop the MiLB International League, Keuchel will have plenty of backing to get into the Majors.
However, with a few starts in the minors, Keuchel will be ready to be put into the MLB lineup in just a few short weeks. This being the case, Philadelphia needs to sign him as quickly as possible.
The Phillies have already gone all-in and signed Harper to basically secure a playoff spot. Now, they need to go all in again and sign Dallas Keuchel. This will drive them deeper into the playoffs and hopefully land them their third World Series win in franchise history.
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