Pirates Likely to Have Difficult Time Trading Mitch Keller

It was an interesting year for the Pittsburgh Pirates on multiple fronts in the starting rotation, with even right-hander Mitch Keller struggling a bit more than usual. 

While Keller certainly isn't an ace by any means at this stage of his career, as he's now 30 years old and has been in trade rumors over the past couple of campaigns, there's still reason to believe that he's a lot better than he was a year ago. 

Keller only appeared in 115.2 innings, posting a 5.29 ERA and striking out just 89 hitters. For all intents and purposes, his numbers were way down in comparison to prior campaigns.

Interestingly enough, the Pirates will have to make a decision on him over the next couple of months. 

The fan base has hoped they could move on from him in a trade that makes sense for both sides, though it's important to remember it takes two to make a trade. 

Just because the Pirates might want to move on from Keller and his contract doesn't necessarily mean that teams are going to be willing to move the necessary assets to land him. 

Even at this point, it's not necessarily unfair to say that the Pirates are going to have a hard time moving on from him because of the unlikelihood that others around the league are going to want to continue paying him on his remaining contract.

With that money being an issue and the injuries also being a factor last season, MLB Trade Rumors recently suggested that it's going to be difficult to trade him. That's part of the reason why he might end up being on the team again next season, despite some fans not wanting him around.

“The Bucs still have Keller signed for another two years at a total of $38MM. Assuming his recovery continues without issue, he should slot back into a strong rotation that also includes young starters Paul Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft, Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler. He’s just 30 years old but is the clear elder statesman of that group. 

“Keller has often seen his name come up in trade rumors, but between the money left on his deal, his poor 2026 results and the season-ending injury, it’s hard to imagine a strong market for his services this winter. If he can bounce back to his prior form, the remaining $38MM on the contract shouldn’t be onerous even for the small-budget Bucs. Keller pitched 707 2/3 innings with a 4.15 ERA and strong rate stats from 2022-25, averaging 177 innings and 31 starts per season along the way,” Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors wrote.

It's always tough to get a feel for things like this because teams around Major League Baseball can certainly get desperate and try to trade for a starter who has been an All-Star throughout parts of his career. 

Keller was very good during the first half of 2023 and looked great in 2022. Outside of that, he's been more of a guy who teams can rely on to come in and eat up innings. 

He's not going to wow anybody with any of his stuff, and unfortunately, that's likely going to have a big impact on whether the Pirates can move on from him this winter. If they find the trade offer they want for him, however, I wouldn't be surprised to see him go.