Boston Red Sox Sign Former Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox Pitcher Brad Keller

Longtime Kansas City Royals pitcher Brad Keller got cut loose by the Chicago White Sox last week, but he has found a new landing spot with the Boston Red Sox.

May 15, 2023; San Diego, California, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller (56) throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox have signed right-handed pitcher Brad Keller to a one-year contract, the team announced Sunday.

MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo was among the first to report the move.

The Chicago White Sox designated Keller for assignment on Monday. The 28-year-old righty elected free agency on Wednesday.

To make room for Keller on their active 26-man roster, the Red Sox optioned right-handed pitcher Zack Kelly to Triple-A Worcester.

The #RedSox today announced the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/o4mohMdtKS

— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 26, 2024

The White Sox signed Keller to a minor league deal in March. He had spent the previous six seasons with the Kansas City Royals.

Keller made his MLB debut back in 2018, and he was part of Kansas City's starting rotation through 2023. After going 21-23 with a 3.50 ERA and 1.285 WHIP between 2018 and 2020, Keller went 17-30 with a 5.14 ERA and 1.629 WHIP from 2021 to 2023.

In five appearances with the White Sox – two of which were starts – Keller went 0-2 with a 4.86 ERA and 1.380 WHIP. Keller last took the mound Saturday against the New York Yankees, allowing four home runs and five earned runs in 4-plus innings of work.

Before that outing, Keller owned a 2.84 ERA and 1.184 WHIP on the season.

The Red Sox are currently down two starting pitchers – Lucas Giolito and Garrett Whitlock. Giolito underwent a season-ending internal brace procedure on his UCL during Spring Training, while Whitlock is likely to have the same procedure in the near future.

Cooper Criswell's emergence as a reliable starting pitcher over the past few weeks may bar Keller from entering the rotation, but having a veteran arm out of the bullpen could prove valuable in its own right.

The Red Sox face the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, looking to avoid a sweep at home. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET.

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