Another Red Sox Rival Reportedly Joins Sweepstakes For Notable Trade Deadline Starter

Mitch Keller seems to be the next Pittsburgh Pirates starter to get moved, and suffice it to say, he’s getting a fair amount of interest.

Keller’s name long has been mentioned in trade chatter. The Pirates have been out of the playoff hunt pretty much since the season started and have a history of dealing their quality starting pitching. Keller is signed through 2028, having a good season, and makes perfect sense for the middle or back of a contender’s rotation.

Accordingly, multiple teams in the American League East have their eye on him.

The Toronto Blue Jays are the latest team to reach out to the Pirates about Keller, according to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. They now join the New York Yankees, Mets and Chicago Cubs as teams said to be looking into the 29-year-old.

The Pirates are a long way away from contending, so it remains to be seen how much of a deterrent trading Keller within the division is for them. If it is, that makes it an uphill climb for the Cubs.

The list of suitors could also get much longer if upper-rotation starters with multiple years of team control — like Washington’s MacKenzie Gore or the Twins’ Joe Ryan — aren’t made available.

It’s unclear what, if any, level of interest the Red Sox have in Keller. He wouldn’t necessarily represent an obvious upgrade over in-house arms like Lucas Giolito and Walker Buehler, but at the absolute least, Keller could raise the floor of a rotation looking for a true No. 2.

Keller has a 3.48 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. His 3-10 record is more a reflection of the team he plays for than missteps on his part.