Pirates Starter Among Top Trade Targets
The Pittsburgh Pirates made waves when Noah Hiles and Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported they'd be willing to listen to offers for starting pitchers Mitch Keller and Jared Jones.
While a deal could appear less likely after Luis Ortiz was included in the Cleveland Guardians' trade package for first baseman Spencer Horwitz, Destin and Hiles noted that a trade could still be made if the right offer comes along. Between the two, a trade for Keller would make more sense given his contract and Jones's just-finished rookie season.
Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer listed the top pitchers who could be available this offseason and ranked Keller at No. 8. He also predicted that the Pirates won't end up trading the veteran right-hander.
"The potential for better results is there, however," Rymer writes. "Keller sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, with a three-pronged breaking ball mix (sweeper, slider, curveball) that offers some swing-and-miss upside. Keller alone probably isn't worth a superstar-type hitter in a trade. But if the Bucs can turn him into a viable regular with power, they'll need to consider it."
Keller, 28, has been the Pirates' most consistent pitcher over the last three seasons and made the All-Star team in 2023. The veteran right-hander went 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA in 2023 and was 11-12 with a 4.25 ERA last season. The disparity in his first-half and second-half performances is concerning, though, as he was 4-5 with a 5.59 ERA after the All-Star break in 2023 and 1-7 with a 5.65 ERA in 2024.
The other elephant in the room is Keller's contract. He's entering the second season of a 5-year $77 million contract he agreed to before last season. Given the Pirates' propensity for saving money, trading Keller doesn't appear to be far-fetched if they decide to go that direction.
With Pittsburgh having three top-100 right-handed pitching prospects in MLB Pipeline's rankings, Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft and Thomas Harrington, it's built to withstand a potential trade. Trading Keller for the sake of saving money and making room for the trio of pitching prospects could prove to be a grave mistake.
If the Pirates decide to trade Keller, they need to at least net a proven bat in return. Pittsburgh had one of the league's worst offenses last season and addressing that has to be the focal point of any potential trade for Keller or Jones.
Pittsburgh has to be cautious in using its pitching depth to add offense. The Pirates' pitching depth is easily their biggest strength, but if they deplete too much of it for the sake of adding offense, it could prove costly in their quest to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
