The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired former Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel from the Seattle Mariners, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Mariners will receive cash considerations in return, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The left-hander was with the Mariners on a minor league deal and not on the 40-man roster, meaning he won’t need a 40-man spot with the Brewers now.
Keuchel, 36, was 7-4 with a 3.93 ERA in 13 starts with Triple-A Tacoma.
Mariners Trade Dallas Keuchel to Brewers
Keuchel was among the best pitchers when he won the 2015 American League Cy Young Award. He received MVP votes that season and he is a two-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glover and World Series champion. Since then, he has been more of a journeyman pitcher over the past three years. From 2014 to 2020, Keuchel made 175 starts with a 3.25 ERA. His 19.8 percent strikeout rate wasn’t strong, but he limited his walks at a 6.7 percent clip.
His rate stats hit a decline in 2021 courtesy of a 5.28 ERA. In 2022, it got worse for Keuchel, who was released by the Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers in brief stints. He finished with a dismal 9.20 ERA in 60 2/3 innings while striking out 14.9 percent of batters faced and gave out walks at a 10.2 percent clip.
Last year, Keuchel worked out with Driveline Baseball to regain his lost velocity and movement on his pitches. He eventually signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins in June, tossing 32 innings with a 1.13 ERA at the Triple-A level. The improvement was enough for the Twins to add him to the roster at the beginning of August, throwing 37 2/3 innings in a swing role. However, he wasn’t too impressive as he posted a 5.97 ERA down the stretch. His 14.5 percent strikeout rate and 10.5 percent walk rate were almost similar to his 2022 numbers.
The Brewers Have the Motivation to Take a Shot on Keuchel
Milwaukee knew coming into the season that Brandon Woodruff would have to spend the whole season on the injured list. Woodruff is recovering from shoulder surgery but has since seen company on the IL. Wade Miley and Robert Gasser are out with UCL surgery and are out for the year. Joe Ross and DL Hall are on the shelf due to other injury issues. Jakob Junis has been reinstated from the IL but has been working in relief.
That has left the Brewers with a mediocre rotation behind Freddy Peralta. Milwaukee moved Bryse Wilson from the bullpen to a starting role but has a 4.24 ERA. Colin Rea is similar but with a 3.62 ERA on the year. Tobias Myers and Carlos Rodriguez are both inexperienced as they are in their debut seasons.
It’s easier to see Keuchel slotting into the Brewers mix than the one with the Mariners. Despite the rotation struggles, the Brewers remain in first place in the National League Central, five games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Main Photo: © Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
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