Tigers Have Shown Interest In Brad Keller As Starter

"Keller is coming off a breakout year working out of the Cubs bullpen. The 30-year-old righty fired 69 2/3 innings of 2.07 ERA ball. He emerged as Craig Counsell's most trusted leverage arm by the end of the season. Keller recorded 25 holds and a trio of saves while relinquishing just three leads all year. He was fantastic in the second half, allowing one run while striking out 35 hitters across 27 2/3 frames. He picked up two more saves and a hold while tossing 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in the playoffs."

"While the underlying metrics weren't quite so dominant, Keller posted solid peripherals across the board. He punched out 27.2% of opponents against a manageable 8% walk rate. Keller got ground-balls at a 56.5% clip, the 10th-highest rate among relievers with 50+ innings. The only slight area of concern was a modest 10.8% swinging strike rate that checked in a little below the 11.5% league average. Keller has plenty of starting experience. He was a starter for most of his six seasons as a member of the Royals. The 6'5″ righty found some early-career success as a grounder specialist at the back of the K.C. rotation."

Brad Keller produced a breakout season in the Cubs bullpen, throwing 69 2/3 innings with a 2.07 ERA, recording 25 holds and three saves while losing only three leads. He dominated the second half, allowing one run and striking out 35 across 27 2/3 innings, and contributed in the playoffs with 5 2/3 innings of one-run pitching. Peripheral metrics included a 27.2% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate and a 56.5% ground-ball rate, though a 10.8% swinging-strike rate was slightly below league average. Keller has extensive starting experience from his time with the Royals and underwent thoracic outlet surgery before 2024, with recent limited MLB appearances for other clubs.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors