With Mitch Keller making his final start before the MLB Trade Deadline on Monday against the San Francisco Giants, he’ll try to block out the trade rumors that have been swirling around the Pittsburgh Pirates lately.
Keller’s name has been floated in some of them. But according to Pirates beat writer Noah Hiles of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the former All-Star doesn’t appear likely to be traded.
“From the conversations I’ve had over the weekend, it seems like it’s becoming less likely that they move Mitch Keller,” Hiles said on Monday via 93.7 The Fan. “I’m not saying it’s completely out of the question, but if I had to make a guess right now, I think he would not be dealt anymore, which is surprising.
“I was surprised to hear it all weekend long, but it sounds like it’s trending in the direction that Mitch Keller won’t be moved by the end of this deadline,” Hiles added.
When asked what’s changed, Hiles said he thinks the Pirates aren’t getting the offers they want for the former All-Star. They’re also in no rush to trade him, given that he’s under team control through 2028, but they could still look to move him next winter.
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“Mitch is still someone that helps this team moving forward. He has a lot of club control,” Hiles said. “And I think there’s another thought of it where maybe they could get more for him in the offseason.”
The 29-year-old is having another strong season for Pittsburgh, going 4-10 with a 3.53 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and 1.9 WAR in 21 starts this year, making him a great No. 2 starter behind Paul Skenes. He’s been fantastic leading up to the deadline, logging four straight quality starts in July and posting a 2.03 ERA over his last five outings.
While Pirates general manager Ben Cherington recently stressed the need to be aggressive in pursuing trades this week, it sounds like he may hold on to Keller for the time being.
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