Dallas Keuchel is a former Cy Young winner but is currently out of the league. The veteran pitcher remained unsigned this offseason and did not appear in spring training with either team.
However, he could still help a team. With several teams dealing with injuries this season, a veteran pitcher like Keuchel could be an excellent addition to the rotations of many playoff hopefuls. What teams might be interested in him?
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3) St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are ranked 21st in Fangraphs’ fWAR projections release. The site projects his starting rotation to be the 21st in all of baseball. That’s not good for a defending division champion and playoff contender.
Keuchel will be a back-end starter and probably won’t change the Cardinals’ projections much, but he will be useful in eating innings and getting outs.
2) Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are ranked 14th on that same list. They’re led by Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman, but the rotation has been a bit shaky this season. Chris Bassitt hasn’t done well and they could use a veteran presence in the rotation. They have a pretty strong infield defense and Kuechel was always good at inducing ground balls.
1) New York Yankees
The New York Yankees rank first on that list, so why would they need help? Right now, three of their five projected starters are on the DL. Frankie Montas could be missing all year and Clarke Schmidt looks bad in his place.
Their bullpen is also weaker right now due to injuries. They need a ticket eater and that’s what Dallas Keuchel is. They also have good infield defense that could benefit from a ground ball shooter.