SEPTEMBER 5: Keuchel has been released, according to his transactions log at MLB.com.
SEPTEMBER 4: The Rangers announced that left-hander Dallas Keuchel has been designated for assignment. Left-hander John King was called up from Triple-A to take Keuchel’s spot on the active roster.
Keuchel was signed to a minor league deal in late July, and his contract was officially selected to the big league roster on August 27. Unfortunately for Keuchel, his two starts in a Texas uniform were disasters, as he allowed seven runs in each outing and has a 12.60 ERA to show for his 10 innings as a Ranger.
It has been a rough season overall for the 34-year-old, who has a 9.20 ERA over 60 2/3 cumulative innings with the Rangers, Diamondbacks, and White Sox. Beginning the season in Chicago, Keuchel struggled to the point that he was released in late May, with the Sox eating the approximate $13MM still owed to Keuchel in the final year of his three-year, $55.5MM contract.
The D’Backs and Rangers therefore only had to pay Keuchel the prorated portion of a Major League minimum salary during his brief time on their active rosters, as the White Sox covered the rest of the bill. It was a low-cost risk for the two clubs to see if Keuchel could benefit from a change of scenery, yet the veteran struggled at every stop.
While there has long been speculation about how long Keuchel’s ground-heavy, low-strikeout approach would continue to be successful, the lefty was still a front-of-the-rotation arm as recently as 2020, when he finished fifth in AL Cy Young Award voting in his first season with the White Sox. However, Keuchel’s numbers already declined considerably in 2021, as he started to allow considerably more hard contact and his walk rate fell. Those problems have only deepened in 2022, with Keuchel’s 10.2% walk rate falling in only the 20th percentile of all pitchers.
It seems a given that Keuchel will pass through waivers again, and it seems likely that the Rangers will release him rather than outright him to Triple-A. The southpaw’s career track record could land him another minors contract during the offseason, yet as he approaches what would be his age-35 season, the possibility exists that Keuchel is simply no longer an effective Major League pitcher. Retirement could be a possibility after 11 MLB seasons, but with that 2020 performance still so recent, it also wouldn’t be surprising to see Keuchel keep grinding to see if he could get his career back on track.
KOOOOOCH!!!!!!
Burnt toast.
It’s over.
Over his last 223 IP in MLB, Keuchel has a 6.35 ERA/5.31 FIP. It’s over unless he makes a dramatic mechanical change, a change in overall approach, or move to the pen full time.
Worse than burnt, it actually caught on fire and was reduced to ash in this case
King is just younger Dallas. What’s the point ⚾️
The point is Kuechel is awful at this point.
King is controllable. He is on the bubble for staying on the 40 this offseason, so might as well see what he’s got over the final month to crystalize his future. Keuchel was going to be a FA at seasons end anyway and couldn’t get through 5 innings, so it didn’t make sense to hold onto him when he was burning up the bullpen.
On the bright side, he gets to go home to Kelly Nash
Do you think that’ll last until 2024? My guess is they are both- very high maintenance.
Maybe he has trouble focusing on baseball.
Very nice!
Not over. Look at Tommy John’s second stint with the Yankees.
My cousin goes home to help people get their first party on their way to get a good morning sleep.
Wut?
Man, 14 earned runs and 10 innings. Kind of impressive.
It’s Bob Nutting type of call and signing. 1 yr3 million to put up some runs! Since the offense can’t
Or, sign him to ensure a higher draft pick.
Arte Moreno should sign him for 3 years/50 million.
Yeah. It would definitely add value to the team up for sale.
I’m thinking it should be 10/250.
I think Arte should sell him the effing team.
Yeah you gotta do everything you can to get that pension. “Have left arm, will travel” plays here, but maybe it’s time he looks to be a left bullpen piece. Anything to do to extend past 10 yrs.
Dirk, wouldn’t you also want a pension when your basically that 10 years?
Done like dinner.
-2.6 WAR in 60 innings is shockingly bad. I think it’s time for Dallas to enjoy retirement with his hot wife
Well, if you can hang on you can always hang up.
He might squeeze another year or two out of his career, but it will never “get back on track.”
He’s bumping right up against the 10 year mark but I’m not sure he’s going to make it?????
I’ve tried to calculate it and I think he’s about 35 days short. I’ll guessing he keeps trying.
Lol
Dallas is Texas Toast!
The Rays have a knack for getting pitchers back on track!
Save all the cliches. Anyone who’s watched him pitch over the last three years can see it. He’s got nothing left.
Part of that knack is knowing NOT to choose guys like Keuchel
I really do like Keuchel, but this has to be (according to WAR) one of the worst seasons for a starting pitcher.
Take your millions, go away and be happy!
Guessing that throwing a baseball is all he’s ever known….I’d take a BIG humble pill and toss a bunch of $ at one of the academies to fix him or at least get him to be serviceable?
Break him down etc etc……2 more years and a few million is still alot, meals etc…
I know this is coming from a regular guy with a regular job, but am pretty sure I’d Steve Carlton it…
I always used to tell myself that if I happened to have been fortunate enough to be a Pro Athlete I would know when to walk away….that I wouldn’t be holding on and bouncing from team to team hoping to reclaim a glory that my body simply won’t allow me to once again achieve. I’m sure the countless examples – like Dallas – told themselves the same thing to. Telling yourself you simply aren’t good enough anymore (and not trying to mentally tell yourselves it’s just a bad game or a mechanical flaw that can be fixed) is probably one of the hardest things in the world to do.
If players are lucky they have maybe ten years to earn their living. They’re not just going to quit doing what they love and need to do just to conform to other people’s notion of what is expected of them (Gil Meche excepted). And I don’t get why people think it’s classy to just give up. I admire anyone who gives all they’ve got, even if the results aren’t there. That’s something to aspire to. Being worried about one’s perceived image and quitting because things are no longer going your way is not.
Players aren’t usually THIS bad at the end though
Learn to throw a knuckleball.
Dallas Keuchel is awful now!!
Maybe he’ll become a knuckleballer lol.
The rays to make an offer and turn him into an ace.
He was awful with the other two organization this season, but the rangers still signed him. He was horrible in round rock, but the rangers still brought him up to the big league. What exactly were the rangers trying to do with him?
Eat some innings.
Will always have good memories of him with the Stros. But he’s done now and should retire. Unfortunately someone will invite him to spring training to keep his false hopes up.
Sounds like a task for the Nationals. Take him in at league minimum, give him his service time to eat innings in long relief, send him on his way.
His career will always have an asterisk after it. Product of pine tar and garbage cans
That 18 career WAR don’t look so hot either
Your mom’s a product of pine tar and garbage cans
What’s the record for being DFA’d in a season by multiple teams, as it appears he’s approaching it?
Good question.
It’s time for the pirates to take a crack at him. He can’t be any worse than what they’ve got now.
He’s worse. What would be the point anyway?
Second time the Sox have ended Keuchel’s run with a team this season
Probably time to call it a career. He gave it his best this season. Go home and count your winnings.
Time to hang ‘‘em up
At least he still has Kelly Nash
I’m sorry but step one is to permanently get rid of that bizarre beard. Then maybe others can work with him.
Still made Millions… enjoy life Dallas!
At least his Mommy thinks Keuchel is still a great pitcher and his performance problems are all due to incompetence of the teams who have been suckers enough to sign him. He is also one of the least popular guys in clubhouse because he’s not ashamed at all to express her views.
A little harsh. Where did you get this info? Thank You!
If he is willing to earn his way back, he can get another look next year on a minor league contract
Time to hang up the cleats and hang out with your Instagram model and alleged tv host, D man
He is a left-hander and he’s breathing. Someone will give him a minor league contract.
good answer!
How can Texas release Dallas? It’s like Japan releasing Tokyo.
Because J.R is deceased and so is most of the cast. You can watch repeats on YouTube.
I wonder how many Cy Young winners (who were starters and pitched at least ten years) ended their careers with less than 20 WAR. Randy Jones did.
He was at 21.5 rWAR entering this season, but took a -2.6 WAR hit based on only 60 innings pitched. That illustrates how bad he’s been. Unless he’s hiding some injury, he likely is done. Wouldn’t shock though me if some team gave him a ST invite.
Stick a fork in him. Only place he has played well this season is in the first 2 months of mlb the show 22
Forced retirement.
The White Sox are ecstatic that Keuchel’s option for next year is no longer valid!
So he’s still giving up hard ground balls, so what has changed? Too many defensive shifts? Improper defensive shifts? Bad defenses behind him?
Maybe it’s time to switch over to a reliever, one who follows a hard thrower? It seems rather unlikely that a mechanical change at this stage will work, so maybe a new pitch, something that changes the batter’s eye level or breaks a different direction? Something…