Set to enter his final year of team control in 2018, Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel has switched representation and is now a Scott Boras client, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN reports (Twitter link).
Keuchel is projected to earn $12.6MM via arbitration next year, which could be his last season with the organization that used a seventh-round pick on him in 2009. Now 29, Keuchel blossomed into one of the game’s premier starters in 2014 and went on to earn the American League Cy Young Award the next season. Keuchel was a 200-plus-inning workhorse in each of those two seasons, but injuries limited him to a combined 313 2/3 frames from 2016-17.
While Keuchel struggled in 2016, he returned to his front-line ways last season (albeit over just 145 2/3 innings), with a 2.90 ERA, 7.72 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a major league-best 66.8 percent groundball rate. Keuchel’s regular-season output helped the Astros rack up 101 wins and roll to an AL West title, and he was also an instrumental member of the team’s first-ever championship-winning run in October. Keuchel was at his best in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, firing seven scoreless, 10-strikeout innings in a win over the Yankees, whom the Astros ultimately defeated in seven games.
In the midst of the Astros-Yankees series, Keuchel said that his hope is to remain in Houston for the long haul. It’s unclear whether there has been progress toward that goal, though, and it’s obvious that the Astros are going to have to fork over a significant contract in the coming year if they’re serious about extending Keuchel before he reaches the market next winter. As of now, Boras’ newest high-profile client is on track to be a key part of a class that could feature a slew of other stars, including fellow lefty Clayton Kershaw.
Good luck Houston
I like DK as a pitcher but we really don’t need him and his big mouth. We’re so much deeper in talent than any other team it’s silly.
You’re joking, right? We’re a very talented team, but losing a Cy Young caliber player and Gold Glover would hurt bad. Unless you tell me Verlander will stay forever, McCullers will be a healthy Cy Younger and Whitley will workout and become an ace. If you can guarantee me all of that then I’ll stand there with you. We need Keuchel.
Also, that big mouth only helped motivate our FO to trade for JV. Horrible to have firey players on our team with a chip on their shoulder and a strong desire to win. Come on dude. I give Dallas props for speaking up. He’s got passion and as long as it doesn’t anger teammates and upset the locker room then I want to see that passion.
Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have Keuchel back, but at what cost? He’s been too injury prone/ineffective at times to warrant the top dollar he’s likely to be demanding with Boras as his agent. We’ll have a better idea after this season.
As for him speaking up, you have no idea whether that had anything to do with Lunhow grabbing up Verlander. It was common knowledge that the Astros were in the market for a TOR starter. Things likely fell through at the deadline. I don’t blame the FO for that and believe they were likely just as disappointed as the players. I for one don’t believe in players trying to be part of the FO. I can’t be the only one who’s a bit bothered by it. This isn’t the first time he’s made his baseball business opinions public. He was speaking a few offseasons ago about how we should go out and get Nick Markakis, the next offseason he was saying he wanted David Price, the next offseason after underperforming he told everyone it’s cus he was injured and was playing through it. Just suck it up, keep it to yourself and prove yourself next year. Additionally, stay outta Lunhow’s business, he’s obviously a genius and doesn’t need Keuchel’s two cents. He’s the only player on the team that you hear these types of things from.
I believe in the talent that Lunhow and crew have constructed. We have more pitching depth in both the minor leagues and major league level than any other team. There’s also other TOR arms to be had in the next few offseasons.
Very well said
Josh Reddick said the Astros were “down in the dumps” about the lack of impact moves at the non-waiver deadline.
I also don’t reason that DK was making excuses when he said he was pitching hurt. It seemed more of a mea culpa — That he knew he was not healthy, but didn’t report it because he wanted to compete and ended up hurting the team through performance & extra time missed. He followed it by indicating that he needed to get better about acknowledging when he finds he’s ailing.
Did not the bug mouth stand up for the team and demand moves that led to Verlander and a World Series title?
Yeah you don’t need your cy young pither pal.
Good News For You: He Now Gone After 2018. Bye bye so in 2019 we shall find out how silly good and deep and how much better you are then ever other team.
I guess you have next season World Series in the bag huh? You gonna sqeak by the Yankees again? Yea your so much better then ever team you had to go to the final game of ever round.
They won the ALDS in 4 games.
I stand corrected for the first round and stand by my remaining comment
A little jealous? Your Yankees were lucky not to get swept. The ‘Stros are only getting better. Like I said, Keuchel’s comments had nothing to do with the Verlander transaction. The FO wanted a TOR arm all along and were able to get one without giving up a top prospect. Payed less than the Yanks payed for Gray or the Cubs payed for Q for a far superior pitcher.
How were the Yankees lucky not to get swept?
The Indians got lucky Joe Girardi didn’t challenge a call that would have been reversed.
Just rubbing it in. It feels great.
Contract projection anyone? 28 to 32 million a year. For 6 or 7 years?
Those numbers make my skin crawl. Never really bought the keuchel hype despite the results.
lol what?
I could see 6, but more in the $125-135 million range.
I’m guessing 6 yrs/$150M with a player opt out after year 2.
Way more. He will get $200 mil
The Astros would be smart to move him at the break if they can obtain a controllable starter in a different deal. With Whitley on his way, keuchel doesn’t fit long term with big contracts to every day players coming.
Move him at the break when they’re in first place in the AL and are looking to repeat as World Series Champions? Right, fat chance.
Move him now, then. They aren’t giving him 6-7 years 25 per, which is what he will get from someone. Get something for him instead of losing him for nothing. already won a World Series title. Goal is long term success, which he will not be a part of beyond this season.
They would get a draft pick at least.
A lesser comp pick than in years before. It is reported they are looking at tor arms via free agency or trades. They aren’t doing that unless they already feel like keuchel won’t be a part of the long term plan in houston.
And why would they trade a Cy Young contender in the middle of a playoff race? They are trying to repeat and a championship is worth more than any prospect.
Not when you already have a title and are looking for long term success, which he won’t be a part of.
Keuchel honestly projects well as he gets older thanks to the style of pictcher he is andthe organization has repeatedly expressed interest in retaining him. The issue is Keuchel knows this is the only major contract he’ll get in his career so he needs to test market. Only reason he hasn’t been extended already.
He is going to get 6-7 years and 20-25 or more per. No way the Astros make that commitment with his injury history and the bevy of everyday players on the verge of neededing locked up.
Which explains why the Cubs traded Arrieta after winning the World Series last year. Oh wait…
And he regressed and is walking as a free agent for no compensation to the Cubs. Good job by them.
The compensation they received is the deep playoff run they made this year that wouldn’t have been possible (or at least not likely) without Arrieta. And that is the compensation the Astros will receive for Keuchel next year. Maybe even another championship. Maybe. But the point stands that the Astros are trying to win NOW and trading Keuchel won’t help them do that.
They already “won” now. The goal is long-term success. He won’t be a part of the future and the comp picks are less valuable than before. And if you trade Keuchel and nab a more controllable arm, which is what is being reported, trading keuchel will help them now and in the future.
Who is this guy? Kmsl @ ‘Idfanatic’
It won’t help them now and that’s why they won’t do it
It all depends on next season imo. Regardless, he’ll be testing the waters with boras as his new agent. If he can hit 200 innings next season he should be up there in the $20 mil/year range
If he has a 200 inning year with similar results as this year he’ll get $28 mil a year
Who was his old agent/agency?
Exactly. As usual, MLBTR refuses to list the FORMER agency since Keuchel chose Boras as his agent.
There really is no legit excuse for it. MLBTR has been really disappointing recently.
And we would be well aware of it it had Boras been dropped.
You are 100% correct.
Bingo! If it was Boras to be dropped they would name it in two seconds. Frontline was former agency
Just keep bugging the writers about it they’ll have to address the issue eventually
He was representing himself by all indications I’ve read prior to the change.
It was Frontline
Thanks.
Just curious, why does it matter?
I want to know the whole story, like a lot of people here.
Why wouldn’t it?
think he’s gone after the season. Good run but tough to commit that money to him with Altuve, Correa, Springer looming in a few years and Keuchel’s recent injury history. Stay tuned…
welp he’s gone, hopefully one of the younger guys can make an impact in his place.
I hope Houston doesn’t abandon its process and start to dish out huge free agency salaries. Many times its who you don’t sign, rather than who you do sign, that makes the difference. Keuchel screams, “Will not age well!”
I would steer clear of any Boras client, especially a pitcher who has had injuries. Whoever gets him will wish they didn’t sign him. Let’s see how the Boras clients do this year.
other than Altuve, agree.
Looks like someone beat me to it but his former agency was Frontline. Once again they leave it out.
It’s probably an ownership decision, so hopefully Tim Dierkes will explain this policy to us. It’s not as if it’ll have ANY effect on Boras at all, so why not be transparent and forthcoming with ALL agent changes, rather than just those where a client drops Boras?
I would love an explanation
I posted on this earlier…Tim can speak for himself if he chooses, but this is clearly a policy of theirs. And I agree with it.
First, most agents provide a lot of the detail in these posts. If not directly to MLBTR, then to the prominent national writers. You don’t want to piss them off. Readership would likely suffer.
Also, it’s gentlemanly not to list the former agent because who the player departs from is mostly interesting only to the other agents, not the general public.
The agent world is a tale of two cities: there’s Scott, then there’s everyone else. As a mid-sized firm, losing Keuchel is a significant blow to their revenue. His commission alone could have funded the next ten years for that company. Add all of those things up, and it makes sense not to list the previous agents.
As to the reverse when Scott loses a client, though it probably means a dent to their revenue, it’s not going to be fatal. Their overhead is much higher, but his business is built upon being the agency for the very top end of the market. He wins the information/data/analytics war, and he can prove his worth both from history and from the shear number of number crunchers in that Office. If he gets a player into the office while on a trip to Southern California, it greatly increases the odds of a switch. Why else would he maintain those seats at Dodger/Angel stadium…unobstructed access to players.
The good and the bad of this firm will always be news, at least for as long as this dude is influential.
I can say with 100% first hand knowledge that there are some agencies who run to the media when they snatch a player. Others won’t do that. Scott’s group is one that does not generally run to the press. They operate a professional organization comprised mostly of ex-players who conduct themselves well (with a few exceptions).
In the end, heavy lies the crown.
I enjoy reading all your posts, guys. Keep it up.
LOL completely ridiculous. No agent is going to be so upset that they refuse to provide info to some random website for posting that they lost a client. Especially when that info is freely available elsewhere. And how is it “ungentlemanly” to list the former agent? Being a reporter is about getting the facts right and providing all relevant information and it is certainly relevant so if anything, it is ungentlemanly to NOT report it. Based on the comments, it seems that plenty of people who aren’t “other agents” are interested in who the former agent was so wrong again there.
And if it truly is “ungentlemanly” to mention the former agent. Scott Boras being the former agent doesn’t change that.
I think it’s because Boras is unique in how he negotiates for all his clients. Most agents I think differ to the player while Boras is in full control when he is the agent.
Dallas Keuchel was previously represented by Frontline. Conor did not know who it was.
It was included on MLBTR’s agency database and Crasnick reported it in his tweet. Even if Connor didn’t know it off the top of his head he certainly knew how to find out and it was relevant info that should have been included if possible (and it was possible).
He is just not a real journalist
According to his bio, he’s a “freelance writer”. How nice.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/03/meet-the-mlbtr-writing-team.html
Lol guys, why pick on Connor when all MLBTR writers follow that MLBTR policy.
I feel bad for suckers who agree to write future “Player changes to Boras” write-ups. They’re only following orders (we still don’t know why) but attacking these writers, doesn’t seem fair.
Again KB, just like I told you in “Taijuan Walker Switches Agencies” article (https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/12/taijuan-walker-switches-agencies.html) go take your beef up with the head of MLBTR, because ALL writers here purposely leaving previous agents’ names out (If they’re not Boras)
Every single writer here adheres by this rule. Seems unfair to single out Connor, say he’s “not a real journalist” It’s all speculation at this point, until you get an actual response from someone.
Over the last week I’ve posted several times on this topic. The comments never get approved. I don’t know what that means…i make some guesses on the reasons for not mentioning previous agents. Must be hitting too close to the heart.
why do so many people care about previous agents?
Because people want to know the whole story.
Because they can
Not singling out anyone. I didn’t even check to see who wrote this one. Leaving out the former agent is stupid no matter who is doing it.
Imagine going on a free website and telling people how to do their job
Oh no. Didn’t anybody tell Keuchel that Boras doesn’t care about his clients and only cares about his own bottom line?
Keuchel has been injury prone the last couple of years, and is nursing a sprained foot right now. I really like Keuchel, he certainly has the upside of winning the Cy Young again, but I get the feeling he will be a #2 or #3 for the majority of his remaining career, not the ace of a staff. Which may still be enough to get $25M/year over 7 years given the crazy contracts being handed out. I think the Astros will not re-sign him.
Maybe Boras can get him to shave that ridiculous rodent attached to his chin
lol. didn’t he say he was getting rid of it if they won the WS?