The supply added that nothing was imminent and that two or three groups are trying on the 30-year-old as a starter following a breakout season within the Cubs’ bullpen. Nevertheless, the Yankees are Keller as a reliever after he recorded a 2.07 ERA and a 27.2 Ok% over 69.2 innings in 2025.
The New York Submit’s Joel Sherman first talked about the Yankees’ curiosity in Keller.
Keller got here up as a starter in Kansas Metropolis’s system and had success of their rotation from 2018-2020, logging a 3.50 ERA over 78 video games and 57 begins. Nevertheless, he posted a 5.18 ERA with the Royals, White Sox and Purple Sox from 2021-2024. That stretch included 88 video games and 59 begins, in addition to surgical procedure for thoracic outlet syndrome in 2023, and left Keller with nothing however a minor league contract from the Cubs final winter.
Now Keller is poised for a payday after shining in The Windy Metropolis.
Theoretically, the Yankees may use Keller as a swingman in the event that they had been to signal him, as starters Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt will all begin the season on the injured checklist and are coming off surgical procedures. In the meantime, Max Fried, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren all had career-high workloads in 2025. There’s additionally the damage inclined Luis Gil and the just lately re-signed Ryan Yarbrough, who’s already acquainted with swingman duties.
However the Yankees’ bullpen can be brief on our bodies. Devin Williams defected to the Mets in free company, and Luke Weaver can be on the open market. Brian Cashman stated that he has been in contact with Weaver’s agent, however he didn’t say something past that.
As of now, the backend of the Yankees’ bullpen contains nearer David Bednar, setup males Fernando Cruz and Camilo Doval, and southpaw side-armer Tim Hill. Keller would improve that group whereas additionally including velocity to the unit, as his fastball averaged 97.1 mph final season. That put him within the 88th percentile.
Warmth was arduous to come back by for the Yankees’ bullpen in 2025, as their relievers ranked within the backside half of the league in common fastball velocity and within the backside 5 in fastball utilization final season.
Cashman acknowledged the shortage of fuel on Sunday, although he declined to say it was a “weakness” for the Yankees in 2025.
“High-end velo is harder for hitters,” Cashman famous. “It just takes away the ability for hitters a little bit more to gear up, and it lets all the other stuff play. I have always gravitated to big velo, especially out of the pen, so we’ll see where it takes us.”
To Cashman’s level, Keller additionally ranked within the 99th percentile in Exhausting-Hit% final season, and his anticipated ERA, anticipated batting common, common exit velocity, and groundball price all ranked within the 93rd percentile or higher.
Keller, whose fastball averaged simply 93.8 mph in 2024, additionally throws a slider, sinker, sweeper and changeup.
