The Blue Jays are among the teams to contact the Pirates about right-hander Mitch Keller, reports Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. They’re the latest in a growing number of clubs reported to have interest in the 29-year-old righty, who’s also drawn looks from the Yankees, Mets and Cubs. Keller is signed through the 2028 season.
Keller’s fit with the Blue Jays is natural in many ways. Toronto will see right-handers Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer reach free agency at season’s end, vacating two spots in the rotation. Kevin Gausman is signed for only one additional year and will be a free agent in the 2026-27 offseason. Right-hander Jose Berrios has an opt-out clause in his contract that allows him to reenter the free-agent market in the 2026-27 offseason as well. Fifth starter Eric Lauer, who’s been a godsend in Toronto after signing a minor league contract, is controllable via arbitration through 2026.
[Related: Toronto Blue Jays Trade Deadline Outlook]
Adding a steady arm like Keller, who’s in his prime and affordably signed for three additional seasons, has to hold appeal for the Blue Jays — particularly given the number of pitching injuries they’ve seen among their prospect class and other young arms in recent years.
Left-handers Ricky Tiedemann and Brandon Barriera and right-handers Jake Bloss, Landen Maroudis and T.J. Brock have all undergone UCL surgery within the past 15 months. Lefty Adam Macko had knee surgery in February and has been roughed up for 23 runs in 25 Triple-A innings upon returning. Former AL Cy Young finalist Alek Manoah is still on the mend from last year’s UCL procedure and is only controllable through the 2027 season. Bowden Francis has been unable to replicate last year’s late-season showing and has now been out more than a month due to a shoulder impingement.
The Jays still have some notable young arms. Right-handers Trey Yesavage and Khal Stephen, their top two picks in the 2024 draft, are enjoying strong years in their first full professional seasons, and several lower-level arms have made big strides in 2025 but might still be a few years away (e.g. 2022 19th rounder Gage Stanifer, 2020 international signee Kendry Rojas). On the whole, the pitching group has still been hit with a broad range of injuries.
Keller is being paid $15MM this season — just $500K less than the Jays paid to sign the 40-year-old Scherzer to a one-year deal in free agency this past offseason and the same amount secured by older starters Justin Verlander, Charlie Morton and Alex Cobb. Keller is then owed a combined $54.5MM from 2026-28. Added to the remainder of this year’s salary, Keller has almost exactly $60MM yet to be paid out for his three-plus seasons of club control. The Jays have $184MM on next year’s books, which is $70MM less than their current payroll level.
[Related: Pittsburgh Pirates Trade Deadline Outlook]
It’s an eminently affordable rate for a pitcher of Keller’s quality. While he’s not an ace, he’s a former second-round pick and top prospect who has blossomed into a steady mid-rotation arm and could be seen by some other clubs as a pitcher with a bit of yet-untapped potential. Several Pirates pitchers — Gerrit Cole, Tyler Glasnow, Joe Musgrove, Clay Holmes among them — have found new gears upon being traded to other organizations over the years, after all, and Keller is also enjoying his most successful season to date.
Through 20 starts and 119 innings, Keller has pitched to a career-best 3.48 earned run average. His 18.7% strikeout rate is a career-low, but his 5.5% walk rate is a career-best. There are some red flags, as Keller’s 93.9 mph average fastball is down a half-mile compared to last year and down 1.3 mph from his 2023 levels, but his heater has slowly gained a bit of life as the season has worn on. He’s also allowing a bit more hard contact than usual and experiencing pretty good fortune in terms of homer-to-flyball ratio; his 6.7% mark in that regard is well shy of the 11.8% he carried into the season.
Even with a bit of ERA regression, however, Keller would still be a solid value at his current price, and there’s always the chance that the change in scenery unlocks another gear as well. For a Jays club that could plausibly see every current member of its rotation come off the books by the end of the 2026 season, a July acquisition of Keller would not only fortify the current roster but also represent a bit of proactive shopping.
Toronto also has a number of near-MLB position prospects who could intrigue a Pirates team that’s bereft of quality young hitters — Alan Roden, Josh Kasevich, RJ Schreck, Jonatan Clase and Will Wagner among them. Not all of those names are of the caliber to be a headliner in a Keller deal, and the Bucs won’t necessarily focus solely on young hitters in a trade, but the two parties align on a potential Keller swap in many ways.
Sell the team, Bob.
***Mark Cuban has entered the chat
Cuba stated a year or so ago that the best thing that happened for him was that he was unsuccessful in buying a baseball franchise. He said MLB has a horrible financial model and not worth having a team unless it is one of the handful of large market teams.
actually Cuban said it would be foolish for Nutting to sell the team calling it a cash cow for Nutting
Actually what Cuban did was ask the question “Why would anyone want to pay over a billion dollars to become the most hated person in Pittsburgh?” To me this means he would operate the team the same way as Nutting.
That’s the thing mlb fans don’t get. These billionaires didn’t get rich by investing in crappy investments. Didn’t they make 500 million in 10 years sure but they could have made 5 billion if they invested in something else that’s how billionaires think.
Cuban is a fraud and a phony.
Actually Cuban has said he would love to own his hometown Pirates
Nutting paid $97 million for the franchise in 1997. It is now worth $1.2 billion
Go to another board please! You always start stupid stuff! Negative all the time about Pittsburgh!
we go through this every time there’s a rumor about a Pirate available for a trade and you get started about how bad of a market it is for the Pirates.
So it’s worth repeating, PNC Park only holds 38,000 people. They will never draw the same amount of people as large market teams
Jays stadium capacity is 39,150 that’s one of the biggest markets.
He has no life.
baring any upcoming trades.. pirates are looking around 90m this year. 2016 was about to the 100m mark and that was when the team started falling off compared to their 98 win season before.
Its about talent not cash, granted cash can bring in players with established mlb presence. the franchise won’t dump money into something unless they’re reasonably sure they can compete and even then probably not much of a splash.
side note to other comments: IIRC the team is locked in PNC for the next handful of years due to the stadium deal.
Bub From Belle Vernon agrees with u chuck
Bad market? When the team wins people show up. Pittsburgh is a good baseball town. You have no idea what you are talking about. Small market, yes.
Once they sign a pitcher, who do they actually send to the bullpen… and why will no one say Max Scherzer?
He already feels like a blue jay
BREAKING: Every contender in on every available starting pitcher & high leverage reliever.
As well every super utility guy
and every relief pitcher.
@rememberthecoop
I knew it. I’m expecting a Q drop later today.
I could see Arizona jumping in just for the future since they are losing starting pitching at the deadline
ok – I mean they did mention 5 hitters and a bunch of pitching prospects…
Cherington has said that he only wants major league ready position players with several years of control
Which means Keller ain’t going to the Jays
Ricky Tiedeman will be rotation ready for 2026. So will Yesavage, who is currently killing it in AAA. SS Arjun Nimmala could be logging service time right now, if he was a Pirate. Alan Roden has already proven he can swing it in the bigs, and Orelviz Martinez remains a dude with high upside. So too Alex Manoah, who still has some value. Numerous others are also knocking on the door. That’s quite a bit of high upside talent to get a deal done.
I like Keller fine. But he feels like a guy who is super valuable over a 162 game season but not really much of an improvement on the flat structure of the current rotation in a postseason series. Stylistically, he just feels like a younger better Chris Bassitt. But better enough to displace Bassitt from a postseason roster? That feels like a difficult conversation. I feel like Keller upgrades a rotation that is top heavy with a steep drop off after the first couple of guys more than a team like the Jays who have a full rotation of mid rotation type guys.
I’d be much more interested in Keller as an offseason acquisition if he doesn’t move at this deadline. Though in the offseason, you could probably explore free agents before trading for Keller’s contract which is a decent deal but not way below market rate.
You got to get to the post season before worrying about the post season roster.
Sure. Don’t be last year’s Twins. But is 10 starts of Keller that much better than 10 starts of Lauer? I suppose Lauer could find a role in a bullpen and be swingman depth because the Jays’ real weakness in the starting pitching department is non roster depth and that’s really hard to trade for at the deadline so bumping someone to a swingman role is possible. But their postseason odds are so good that I’d rather start fortifying the bullpen and that helps down the stretch as well as in the postseason much more than adding another mid rotation starter. For the price of Keller, I’d prefer just to get one of the rentals and put the extra resources into a bat or reliever that can impact any game. Everything is price dependent of course. I just think Keller’s value is spread out over a bunch of years and that rightfully makes the acquisition cost fairly high while similar value packages could land a player with less control but more immediate impact. And that’s where teams contending for a division championship and are likely to get into the postseason even if they fall short of the division should be shopping.
Agreed market is flush with 4/5 types. It’s really setting up for a .500 team to really take advantage of and everyone is going to be like why didn’t my .500 team make these moves. Too big of a risk for a 1% chance.
Keller #2
Has only failed to go 5 innings 1 time. Has only given up more than 3 runs 3 times.
Smart gms will be looking for things like that. This guy is likely to give me 6 innings only allowing 2 runs.
They also aren’t concerned about what he is doing with mid pitching development loser toxic environment Pittsburgh but with what he could do with their team.
Bassitt is free agent. You want to bribe by over paying a older guy in free agency or trade for the younger cheaper better pitcher.
out of Keller’s 20 starts, 16 have been of the quality variety
6 innings and giving up 3 runs or less
I don’t want Bassitt in free agency. But I’d explore Michael King, Dylan Cease, Ranger Suarez, first time free agent types in Keller’s age range before trading for Keller. From a Blue Jays perspective where the team has more money than they do access to prospects, that’s the way I’d lean. If I couldn’t land one of those arms in free agency, sure, I’d turn and look to Keller as a trade piece, but when talking about the stretch run and postseason with a chance to win the division and 90% postseason odds, I think Keller doesn’t improve the Blue Jays as much as taking the trade package for Keller and putting it towards relievers would. Unless I’m underestimating what it would take to land Keller. Who has more trade value: Keller or Bednar? I’d way rather have Bednar when talking about the goal of the deadline which is to improve the team’s chances of having success in the postseason.
Keller at least twice as valuable as Bednar. Could be triple. Starter vs reliever. 3 more years vs 1 more year.
Players don’t want to sign with Toronto. Different country. Taxes. Rather LA NY I dunno. You can over pay sure. Trading is best route though. You are supposed to trade your weaker prospects. So if you know what you are doing you aren’t losing anything.
So there’s the answer. Keller has three times the trade value as Bednar but Bednar would improve the roster way more so I’d rather get 3 Bednars for the acquisition cost. Or a Bednar, a Merrill Kelly and another piece.
On the free agent front, the Jays haven’t had any more issue signing guys with geographic preferences than other teams. They weren’t surely a contender coming into this season and also didn’t have a clear future which is the bigger factor in them missing out on free agents this offseason. Though still added Santander, Hoffman, and Scherzer who all probably had options to choose from. The deadline is building for the pennant race and postseason. Not to do early offseason shopping.
Don’t get me wrong. I think Keller does upgrade a contender’s rotation. I’m just not sure most teams are going to want to pay for all the added control value if they also have other needs to address at this deadline and need to spread their resources around on multiple additions. If a team really doesn’t have a third option to give the ball to in a postseason series and is strong enough elsewhere, then yeah, grabbing Keller at the cost is impactful for them and comes with the bonus of added control.
They got Santander Hoffman because no one else wanted them at least not as bad. Sure if they pay the most $ they will get guys. Just not the most efficient way.
With a normal team I wouldn’t expect Keller to be traded but with Pirates who knows.
Keller isn’t going to take Lauer’s spot in the rotation unless Lauer is pitching badly. He’s going to replace Scherzer or whoever else gets hurt. Or help give guys more rest during brief moments everyone is healthy. But the odds of no starting pitcher getting hurt the rest of the way are extremely low.
Depending on Scherzer and Lauer is a bigger gamble than adding Keller. He’s as dependable as Berrios. Add him and maybe deal for Bednar as well. I can’t think of a better problem to have than pitching options.
Bassitt has stated that he would be willing to move to the BP if it gets the team closer to the WS. Does Keller and a Bassitt move get that done IDK. I think the better move is to look at the Diamondbacks for Naylor and Kelley or Gallen but Im just an armchair GM so what do I know…lol
Makes sense, add depth to a strong rotation, add Lauer to the bullpen. Keller replaces Bassitt in ’26. But if the Jays dont include Nimalla, the Pirates can do better getting SP prospects from the Cubs.
Nimalla would be the only player that gets the trade done in my opinion. Its a good one for the Blue Jays. Nimalla, Lazaro Estarda or Robinson Pina, and Brandon Barriera would be a nice return but have to get the bat. Nimalla and Barriera are the two players to get from the BlueJays.
The control on Keller adds a wrinkle, but I don’t think he should be worth either of Nimmala or Yesavage. The only name that’s been floated around that those two should be considered a trade chip for is Joe Ryan imo.
Keller is a Sonny Gray clone. Gray got 3 and 75M in his age 32 season. Adding Keller in his age 30 season for 3 and 55M is a 20M+ discount.
The big kicker is having Keller in the rotation this season. It moves Lauer to the bullpen. You get a bullpen arm too.
I’d think you have to trade Nimalla and if I’m the Pirates, Id be asking for Barriera too, knowing how important a player like Keller could be to the Jays run at the WS.
@jdgoat
Do a comp with Berrios. Pitching about the same, except more years of controll. The Jays gave up 2 top 100’s to get Berrios. Ryan is pure fantasy. Better pitcher. Years of control under arb. Nimmala and Yesavage aren’t even close.
Berrios is worse than Keller. Bassitt as well. I posted this above but here it is again. Fans don’t realize how good Keller is.
Keller #2
Has only failed to go 5 innings 1 time. Has only given up more than 3 runs 3 times.
Smart gms will be looking for things like that. This guy is likely to give me 6 innings only allowing 2 runs.
They also aren’t concerned about what he is doing with mid pitching development loser toxic environment Pittsburgh but with what he could do with their team.
It’s his talent. It’s that he could be even better. It’s his contract. It’s his durability. Why every single team is interested in Keller. Good dude as well and will be a fan favorite.
Also why he probably won’t be traded. I would normally say that except Bob Nutting is so stupid they might. Like why is Williams Cherington still employed running the team? Pirates are capable of anything.
Bucs need MLB ready bats in this trade to compete in the Skenes window. Bucs have plenty of young arms. Nimalla wont arrive soone enough and Barreura is redundant in their system.
You are dreaming in technicolor if you think Nimmala is getting traded for anything short of a superstar player.
@BeenThereDoneIt
A Top 10 prospect won’t get you a superstar. Nimala is ranked in the 40’s/50’s.
I didn’t say on his own. he will not be part of a package that doesn’t include a superstar with term. No rentals.
You already have those guys. High floor platoon/bench types already on the 40 or needing a spot this offseason. They’re akin to Horwitz and Triolo.
I’m interested in at least one team going beyond interest and actually doing something. Yawn.
Royals Adam Frazier but tbis deadline and the next will be just like every other one. Not much happening until final few days.
Keller and Bednar to Philly for Justin Crawford, Jean Cabrera, and Otto Kemp.
Probably why you’re not a GM. Probably…
I follow the Jays organization closely.
I find your comments somewhat insulting to the prospects.
Pirates don’t need prospects, just cash considerations.
Get that cash Hillbilly Bob.
Some players they are happy with you just taking them and their contract.
Keller and Davis for Cronenworth, Ornelas, Campusano, and a prospect in the 20-30 range.
(I do think Davis will eventually hit btw)
Pirates wouldn’t at least shouldn’t be interested in any of those players and you are getting Andrew Heaney.
Why bother? The Mets will probably send Vientos or Baty with a few extra parts to get him.
I don’t think that the Mets are interested in Keller. Just my opinion but I think if they acquire a starting pitcher, it’ll be a rental and not someone with additional control.
They already have the following SP under contract for next season: Senga, Manaea, Peterson, Montas, Holmes, Megill. That’s six. Plus Christian Scott returning from injury. Further, they have a lot of young arms who could be ready either out of gate next season or could be at some point: McLean, Sproat, Tong, Tidwell.
So six guys with extensive MLB experience as a starter, one young pitcher returning from injury, and four more potential starters in the minors. Given their financial position with regards to the CBT, I don’t think adding another $20 million for a ~#3 starter like Keller makes much sense. I think they’ll roll with what they have and fill in with prospects as needed due to injury.
A lot will depend on how things go down the stretch. Maybe Montas blows up. Maybe Holmes falls apart and gets sent to the bullpen. Maybe Megill returns and is awful. But those are questions that won’t be answered until after the trade deadline and would affect their moves in the offseason.
Keller is #2 and will only make 20m his final year.
Trade Deadline Update!! Every contending team is interested in Mitch Keller.
This is such an Atkins trade.
Like the Berrios trade he will give up more in perceived prospect value than the fanbase prefers and it will sorta work out OK if lackluster.
Fans wanted him fired
No thanks Blue Jays, don’t need another weak hitter from your organization like we have at 1B.
Addison Barger says hello!
GB85
Love his bat but not his glove, Cutch has DH locked up.
Keller has turned into a pitcher instead of a thrower. Not sure the Jays have anyone that the Bucs would want in return, however.
From the list of hitters they mention, not one of them seem like a decent headline to come back. Even multiple of them I feel is questionable. All of them maybe and one will probably pan out but that seems silly to send that many back
From the prospect pool: Martinez seems like the best option for the pirates but he’s been stinking it up in AAA,
Nimmala seems like an out there option, Not ideal for the Pirates given hes a bit away from the MLB and the Jays probably don’t want to let him go.
IMO Jays getting him would probably have to be a bit creative maybe adding a thrid team to the mix
Of course could always just trade Vlad for Keller. Would take the pirates offense from nearly the worst to being .. well still nearly the worst. LOL (joking of course)
Maybe a off season trade. Maybe Cherington or hopefully new gm like the 2025 draft pick.
Hopefully new GM. I was skeptical he was a fit for Pittsburgh’s restrictive budget but his scouting background gave me hope. Probably won’t know how that works out until after he is gone.
Nutting is a idiot and capable of anything. To me if you let someone stick around for your draft and deadline then you bring them back next year. You are losing because they stink at their job but you must not realize this since you are letting them handle the 2 most important aspects.
It’s one thing to let him sell rentals. But the fact he is allowed to entertain Keller Santana Bednar Reynolds says Nutting has full confidence in him. Suggests he will not be fired this year.
And if he does trade non rentals they should 100 percent bring Cherington back. Why bother with new gm? It is Cheringtons team until Skenes is traded anyways. And how desperate would a new gm be to take a job where he is stuck with previous gm players for years.
The more I see it seems Cherington was indeed looking for home closer to work vs sell because he knows he fired.
Nutting is so dumb though he could let a guy do the draft and trade deadline and fire him 2 months later. Doesn’t make sense to me though.
IKF available? Wouldn’t mind a versatile veteran bench guy who doesn’t rock the boat down the stretch.
IKF is expected to be traded this week
The most available player in all of baseball.
I don’t see them trading Keller at all. They will ask for too much and these teams will go elsewhere. Pirates only priority is trading the 4 expiring contracts. They aren’t really worried about anything else. Not sure they are even capable of trading the 8-10 players that keep getting mentioned in these rumors.
Those years you referenced earlier were played at 3 Rivers Stadium, a cookie cutter venue similar to Veterans and Riverfront stadiums
They historically have drawn more at PNC Park and when they were fielding competitive players, attendance was much higher
after being swept by the White Sox, the worst team in baseball, over the weekend, fans aren’t likely to attend any game with the knowledge that this team stinks and not worth spending money to see.
Colorado draws fans because in the summer, there’s not much to do around Denver
Got to get rid of anyone with a salary North of $4 million a year. Bob needs that money in his pocket. Worst owner in professional sports.
It’s comical that you believe that.
Let’s get more light hitting guys from them like Horowitz. He’s not terrible but is a borderline starter and not a good 1B offensively. Keller is very good and on an affordable deal. Don’t be dumb.
I remember some blabbering fool hyping up that trade for Mr OPS.
I vividly remember when Mlb1225 said that when Horowitz came off the IL, the offense would improve significantly
He got 7 hits in his last 2 games at least.
I really wish they’d move him to 2B or 3B and move on from Hayes.
Funny the one player I badly wanted to trade for was Spencer Torkelson but that’s totally out of the question now. I think they should start talking to the Rockies. Maybe bring in Moniak who would be a decent OF platoon with power and/or Toglia, but he is atrocious this year. Just like how Nolan Jones was a one year wonder.
yes, Horowitz has been hot as of late but he returned from the IL in May and wasn’t hot until recently.
I hope this trend continues
Yes. Hoping his struggles were part of his wrist injury and needing to get ramped up. Obviously I don’t expect 3 hit games every night but if he’s what’s advertised, 25+ doubles, 15 homers, .750 ops that will be fine.
“Yesterday, wiith Paul Skenes pitching on a beautiful night,attendance at PNC Park was just 19,379”
They’re 40-61 and ownership has shown zero desire to put a competitive team on the field in a decade. That should clue you in on the attendance numbers.
Also, if you’re comparing, the Nats have an almost identical record (40-60). They’ve got a handful of exciting young players, including one of the best young players in the game in James Wood. Their attendance yesterday? 15,558. Is Washington a bad baseball town to you?
He’s not capable of logic.
Richard you need to get off mlbtr and get yourself an education son. Like right now. Go.
You see Denver has over double the population of Pittsburgh. What’s the nearest team to them? How many of the 30 teams sell out all 81 games?
If it was a bad market MLB would move the team. Why would they pump so much $ into a bad market? MLB been around awhile so the must know what they are doing. Or is MLB about to fail and go under?
Denver is more than double the size of Pittsburgh
they hit for Skenes last night and have scored 2 runs so far for Keller in tonight’s game
Actually like this move for the Jays more than a proposed trade for Gallen.
Keller would be a great addition. His stuff is that of a number 2 or 3 guy not at all a 4. Compare his stats to any #2 or 3 and he is right in the mix.
Controllable for seasons to come this makes so much sense with other starters soon coming off the books.
Of course at what price for Keller though? With Atkins and Shapiro I won’t hold my breath. As long as it’s not another lopsided move like sending Moreno and Lourdes to AZ for Varsho! Try as they might, Varsho is a #7 or 8 hitter not a heart of the order guy they plug him in to when healthy
Never happen but Varsho for Keller and I will forgive them for the AZ trade
Cherington is on his way out. I dont trust him to make any significant trades.
Nutting is cheap but surely he realizes if he had a better GM, he could make more money
Cherington hasn’t done anything to be brought back next year whether it’s his free agent signings or trades
Quinn Priester who was traded to the Red Sox for Yorke ( who’s at Indy), Priester has 8 wins and an era below 4 for the Brewers