We have seen our first Dallas Keuchel rumor in weeks. Alas, it doesn't include any specific teams:
Free agent Dallas Keuchel is throwing 95-pitch simulated games every five days, agent Scott Boras told me this evening. “We are in discussion with a number of clubs,” Boras said. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) March 29, 2019
It is interesting that he's at 95 pitches. Any team signing Keuchel at this point would still want him to go through a minor-league rehab assignment first, but knowing that he's already this stretched out means it might only be a two- or three-game assignment instead of four or five. That makes a difference.
Again, though, no word on exactly with what teams Keuchel and Boras are in discussion. We also haven't heard any years or dollar figures in a long time.
Keuchel, 31, hit free agency at quite the inopportune time. Aside from the elite of the elite, it's been mostly a rough go in free agency this past two offseasons with a few exceptions. On a personal level, following his Cy Young season in 2015, he was bad in 2016, managed just 23 starts in 2017 and pitched to a 3.74 ERA (108 ERA+) last season while leading the majors in hits allowed.
He was still a good pitcher, posting a 2.6 WAR, but strikeout rate has been tumbling, he's giving up more hits and his FIP for the past three seasons is 3.78, suggesting as he heads into his 30s that he's not much more than a league average pitcher.
That being said, a lot of teams could use a league average pitcher who logged over 200 innings last year and has a Cy Young and World Series ring. He should not still be without a job.
