The A’s have signed left-hander Dallas Keuchel to a minor league deal, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. Keuchel will pitch for the Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas as the 38-year-old looks to resurrect his career.
It has been close to a year since Keuchel last pitched in a pro game, as he threw 5 2/3 innings for the Royals’ Triple-A team last August 16. That was the last of seven starts for Keuchel with Triple-A Omaha, and he was released after posting a 3.53 ERA over 35 2/3 innings. The southpaw’s last MLB game came on July 13, 2024 as a member of the Brewers, and after Keuchel chose free agency following a DFA, he finished the 2024 season in Japan pitching with the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Keuchel’s days as a frontline pitcher (and the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner) with the Astros or even as an effective starter with the Braves and White Sox are now well in the past. Since Opening Day 2021, Keuchel has posted a 6.24 ERA over 277 innings with five different teams at the MLB level, plus he has minor league stints with the Royals and Mariners that didn’t result in any promotions to the Show.
Just like in his prime, Keuchel has continued to generate a ton of grounders without recording many strikeouts. The issue has been decreased control (lowering his margin for error) and a propensity for allowing home runs when batters have been able to get the ball in the air against Keuchel’s offerings.
It’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not Keuchel might have anything left to offer as a big league-capable pitcher. There’s no risk for the pitching-needy A’s in taking a look at Keuchel in the minors, and if the left-hander still has anything in the tank, he might have a path back to the majors if the Athletics move some of their current pitchers at the deadline. The hitter-friendly environs of Las Vegas and Sacramento aren’t ideal environments for a pitcher trying to find his way, but Keuchel probably couldn’t have been too picky given that it has taken him almost a year to find a new contract.
