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Dallas Keuchel

Mets Notes: Vargas, Keuchel

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Jason Vargas’ miserable Mets tenure took another sour turn Saturday in Atlanta, where the southpaw was unable to survive the first inning against the division-rival Braves. Vargas retired just one of the six batters he faced, the others reaching on two singles and three walks, and allowed four earned runs. After the game, an 11-7 loss for the Mets, manager Mickey Callaway brought up the possibility of skipping Vargas’ next start, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

“He’s just not getting outs at this point,” Callaway said. “That’s really all I can say.”

Callaway already passed over a Vargas start earlier this season, but he’s hesitant to pull him from the rotation entirely because of a lack of alternatives, DiComo relays. Outside of the Mets’ rotation, Triple-A left-hander Hector Santiago is the most experienced starter in the organization. The offseason minor league signing’s not on the Mets’ 40-man roster and hasn’t been an effective major leaguer over the past few years, however. Meanwhile, Corey Oswalt, Chris Flexen, Walker Lockett and Drew Gagnon are occupying 40-man spots, though no one from that group has enjoyed any big league success in limited action. Relievers Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman have dabbled as starters, and Callaway did mention them as potential Vargas replacements (via Mike Puma of the New York Post), but moving either to the rotation would weaken the bullpen.

The Mets’ best bet may be to sign free-agent lefty Dallas Keuchel, who’s somehow still without a job in mid-April despite an excellent track record in the bigs. The former Astro’s asking price has dropped in recent weeks, which could make him more appealing to the Mets, yet there’s “much skepticism” they’ll add Keuchel, Puma reports. The two sides have been in contact dating back to at least last month, though, and if things don’t improve at the back end of their rotation soon, perhaps the Mets will earnestly pursue Keuchel. Even if the Mets were to ink Keuchel right now, it’s unclear when the 31-year-old would be ready to step into their rotation, given that he hasn’t pitched in a game (meaningful or exhibition) since last October. He’d likely need time to ramp up, which would still leave the Mets with a less-than-ideal situation for a little while.

The club signed Vargas to a two-year, $16MM deal prior to last season with the expectation he’d serve as an acceptable back-end complement to Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz. Instead, the 36-year-old has pitched to a valueless 6.32 ERA/5.22 FIP in 98 1/3 innings and averaged fewer than five frames per start since receiving his contract. Vargas has no doubt been a liability in New York, and whether the team can continue to rely on him as it vies for a title in the uber-competitive NL East is very much in question.

Yankees Notes: Rotation, Keuchel, Andujar, Hicks, Stanton

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Though the Yankees’ rotation was dealt a substantial blow yesterday with the news that Luis Severino would be shut down entirely for another six weeks, the organization isn’t hitting the panic button and making a sudden push for lingering free-agent Dallas Keuchel, SNY’s John Harper reports. New York general manager Brian Cashman would prefer to “exhaust all of the alternatives” before pursuing Keuchel unless the former Cy Young winner’s price tag drops even further. SNY’s Andy Martino tweets a similar sentiment, suggesting there’s no interest in Keuchel at this time.

The Yankees will be getting some help for a beleaguered rotation this weekend, however, as manager Aaron Boone revealed to reporters Wednesday that CC Sabathia will be activated from the injured list and make his 2019 debut on Saturday (Twitter link via Newsday’s Erik Boland). The Yanks also have Gio Gonzalez tuning up in Triple-A, and given that the lefty has an April 20 opt-out in his minor league contract, it seems likely that he’ll get a look sooner rather than later.

More out of the Bronx…

  • Third baseman Miguel Andujar made 25 throws from 60 feet this week and has been cleared to swing a bat on Friday, the team told the media today (Twitter link via George A. King III of the New Pork). It’s not yet clear if the young slugger will be able to avoid surgery to repair the small tear in his right shoulder’s labrum, though both he and the Yankees are hopeful that he can avoid going under the knife. In his absence, DJ LeMahieu has been hitting well while manning the hot corner, though injuries to both Andujar and Troy Tulowitzki have tested the Yankees’ infield depth.
  • Center fielder Aaron Hicks has begun to hit soft-toss in addition to his throwing regimen, tweets James Wagner of the New York Times. He’s also been running the bases recently and is optimistic that he’ll be able to take on-field batting practice in the near future. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton has begun to swing a bat as he works his way toward a return. Both players figure to need to minor league rehab assignments before they’re able to suit up to return to the Yankees, but it seems that each is proceeding free of any setbacks at present.

AL West Notes: Rangers, Heaney, Peacock

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The Rangers are looking at adding some depth options for the rotation to their minor league ranks, president of baseball operations Jon Daniels told reporters Tuesday (Twitter link via Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Texas recently lost Edinson Volquez to an elbow sprain that could potentially threaten the veteran righty’s career.

At this point, the free-agent market for starting pitching has been largely picked clean, although there are still a few notable names available. Edwin Jackson remains unsigned, as does old friend Bartolo Colon, who has reportedly sought to continue his career into the 2019 season. Veterans James Shields, Chris Tillman and Yovani Gallardo all remain unsigned. As with Colon, the Rangers have had both Tillman (late 2018) and Gallardo (2015, 2018) in the organization before. The Cubs recently designated righty Jen-Ho Tseng for assignment as well, and he could be another option given several years of rotation experience in the minors. Unsurprisingly, Wilson notes that Dallas Keuchel is not viewed as an option despite the Rangers’ search for rotation help.

Here’s more from around the division…

  • Angels southpaw Andrew Heaney resumed throwing today, but he’s still expected to be sidelined for a month or more, per MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger. A recent CT scan revealed what the team announced as “chronic changes” to Heaney’s left elbow, but it doesn’t appear as though there’s any threat of surgery for the left-hander. Heaney tossed 180 solid innings for the Halos in 2018 but has yet to take the mound in 2019 after being limited to just 1 2/3 innings in Spring Training.
  • With a series of off-days on the horizon, the Astros will move Brad Peacock to the bullpen for the next couple of weeks, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Houston has been operating with a shorter bullpen than usual in order to carry two out-of-options players on its bench in Tony Kemp and Tyler White. Whether that arrangement proves sustainable over the course of the entire season remains to be seen, as manager A.J. Hinch even spoke of distinctly noticing a difference in carrying a 12-man pitching staff as opposed to a 13-man pitching staff in the early stages of the 2019 season.

Pitching Notes: Keuchel, A. Miller, Cards, Orioles, Royals

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Left-hander Dallas Keuchel reportedly sought a six- to seven-year contract worth upward of $25MM per annum at the outset of the winter, which may explain why he’s still available a week into the regular season. Now, though, it appears Keuchel’s asking price has dropped significantly, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears (video link). An executive’s “under the impression” the 2015 AL Cy Young winner wants a one-year deal worth more than the $17.9MM qualifying offer he turned down from the Astros or a long-term contract at a lower salary, per Rosenthal. Nevertheless, there aren’t any signs that the 31-year-old is close to finding a team, and as Rosenthal points out, the longer Keuchel sits out, the more money he’ll give up on a prorated pact. Although Keuchel has been throwing 95-pitch sim games every five days as he waits for a contract, he still may not be ready to immediately step into a team’s rotation upon signing.

  • Southpaw Andrew Miller looks more like the second coming of Greg Holland than the savior the Cardinals’ bullpen was hoping for this season, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch observes. Signed to a two-year, $25MM contract over the winter, Miller has given up six runs (four earned) on five hits (three homers) and four walks, with just two strikeouts, in his first 3 1/3 innings as a Cardinal, thereby mimicking the awful performance Holland registered last season after inking a one-year, $14MM deal. While it’s clear Miller has looked nothing like the dominant force he was with the Red Sox, Orioles, Yankees and Indians from 2012-17, it’s obviously far too soon to write him off as a bust. Fortunately, both Miller and Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak insist the 33-year-old is healthy after knee, hamstring and shoulder injuries plagued him in Cleveland last season.
  • Right-hander Nate Karns began the season in the Orioles’ rotation, but he’s now shifting to their bullpen on a full-time basis in favor of lefty John Means, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes. Means may not be long for the starting five, however, considering the just-signed Dan Straily figures to head to the rotation in short order. A starter in 56 of 66 career appearances, Karns made his first relief appearance of the season Saturday against the Yankees, who collected three hits off him in just a third of an inning. The 31-year-old Karns made two starts before that, though he functioned as an opener in both outings and didn’t go past the two-inning mark in either. After recovering from 2017 thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, the journeyman joined the Orioles in free agency this past winter on an $800K contract.
  • It appears reliever Drew Storen is still far away from potentially joining the Royals’ bullpen, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tweets. Storen, who’s on his way back from 2017 Tommy John surgery, is currently building up arm strength in extended spring training. The 31-year-old signed a minors deal with the Royals in February, meaning he was never guaranteed to crack their bullpen. However, if the horrendous performance Kansas City’s relief corps has turned in thus far is any indication, Storen could get a chance in if he returns to health.

NL East Notes: Phillies’ Outfield, Keuchel, Granderson

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The Phillies will soon face a decision with regard to their outfield when Roman Quinn returns from the injured list, writes Matt Breen of Philly.com. Quinn, who played nine innings in a rehab game yesterday, is out of minor league options and will need to be added to the active roster. Given his speed and ability to play all three outfield slots, the organization will retain the soon-to-be 26-year-old. That means either optioning Nick Williams to Triple-A Lehigh Valley or designating fellow out-of-options outfielder Aaron Altherr for assignment. Parting ways with Altherr is the “most likely scenario,” per Breen, though the organization seemingly would prefer to find a way to keep him. As Breen further notes, losing Altherr on waivers and the seeing Quinn go down with another injury would leave the Phils without a backup center fielder on the 40-man roster. Between non-roster journeyman Lane Adams starting the season in Triple-A for the Phils and the number of outfielders designated by other organizations over the course of a season, though, a short-term injury to Quinn could probably be patched over.

Some more from the division…

  • The Mets have continued to keep tabs on Dallas Keuchel’s market, SNY’s Andy Martino writes, though at this point it’s still more due diligence than anything else. Fifth starter Jason Vargas still has supporters within the organization, and any move to add a starter would require pushing him out of the rotation and possibly off the roster in the second season of a two-year, $16MM deal. Vargas posted a 4.50 ERA with a more solid 15-to-6 K/BB ratio in 18 spring innings. He allowed a pair of runs on eight hits and a walk with just two strikeouts across five innings in his season debut earlier this week.
  • It hasn’t taken long for young Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson to look to veteran Curtis Granderson as a mentor, as David Wilson of the Miami Herald explains. Coming out of Spring Training, Brinson requested that his locker in the Marlins’ clubhouse be adjacent to Granderson, and the two have quickly formed a bond. “I pick Curtis’ brain,” says Brinson. “I asked if I could be next to him in the locker room just so if I have a question on anything that crosses my mind, I can ask him and if he has anything to ask me, if he wants to go over anything with me we’re right next to each other.” The 38-year-old Granderson is among the game’s most respected and popular players, and beyond the fact that he remains a productive bat against right-handed pitching, the Marlins surely saw appeal in adding this exact type of leadership to a young, developing club when signing him.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Kimbrel, Keuchel, Eloy, Pillar, Joyce

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There isn’t much indication that Craig Kimbrel or Dallas Keuchel are closing in on new contracts, though that hasn’t stopped teams from keeping in touch with the two free agents.  Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic (subscription required) list the Mets and Brewers as two of the clubs checking in on both pitchers, though Milwaukee is more focused on Kimbrel as a potential add.  The Rays are also still maintaining contact with Kimbrel, after reports during Spring Training suggested Tampa Bay was at least considering signing the closer.  Rosenthal and Lin described the Mets’ interest in Keuchel and Kimbrel “as a matter of due diligence,” with MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and Newsday’s Tim Healey (both Twitter links) adding that it doesn’t seem likely that either pitcher will end up in a Mets uniform.

Here’s more from Rosenthal, via his most recent Full Count video for FOX Sports…

  • Eloy Jimenez’s career-opening extension with the White Sox included “an understanding” that Jimenez and his camp wouldn’t pursue a service-time grievance with the league and players’ union.  Jimenez’s agents expressed public displeasure last summer when their client wasn’t given a late-season promotion, and the young slugger had been ticketed to begin this season in Triple-A before he inked his extension, which opened the door for Jimenez to join Chicago’s Opening Day roster.  The evidence seems to pretty clearly suggest that the White Sox were aiming to extend their control over Jimenez for an extra year, though the Sox are far from the only team that deploys this strategy with top prospects.
  • The Giants are the only team known to be involved in the Kevin Pillar trade market, though Rosenthal notes that the Blue Jays have also talked with multiple other teams about the center fielder.  Pillar offers two years of team control and a center field glove that was elite from 2015-17, as per the UZR/150 and Defensive Runs Saved metrics.  Last season, however, Pillar’s glovework was rated closer to average overall, and he has yet to post even league-average run production over his six MLB seasons.  If a trade did take place, Pillar would join Kendrys Morales, Russell Martin, and Troy Tulowitzki as Jays veterans sent out of town as Toronto makes room for its younger players.
  • The Braves acquired Matt Joyce from the Giants last weekend, just three days after Joyce joined San Francisco on a minor league contract.  Rosenthal provides some details on the transaction, stating that while the Giants were prepared to part ways with Joyce regardless, Atlanta chose to send some cash to the Giants in a trade rather than simply sign Joyce when he became available.  Since league offices were closed last Saturday on the day of the trade, Joyce’s arrival in the Braves’ spring camp could have been further delayed had the two sides been required to wait for the contract to be officially approved.  With a trade, however, Joyce was able to get some time in Atlanta’s camp, which led to his placement on the club’s Opening Day roster (Joyce marked his first PA with his new team by swatting a pinch-hit homer).

Quick Hits: Padres, Keuchel, Strickland, Gray, “The Belt” Reactions

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The Padres are “determined to add a starter,” according to Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic. With a slew of young pitchers comprising the Friars’ current rotation—Joey Lucchesi, Eric Lauer, and Chris Paddack—and the addition of Manny Machado driving the team’s desire to win now, San Diego is a natural fit for a veteran starter to anchor an otherwise inexperienced pitching staff. Dallas Keuchel, of course, remains unsigned and fits the profile, though he and agent Scott Boras have remained firm on their asking price, which the Padres have thus far refused to meet. Rosenthal and Lin also mention Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman as a potential trade target. Stroman, who endured a disappointing 2018 campaign, remains a strong candidate to be traded at some point this season, though it remains unclear just how quickly the Padres plan to move in their hunt for a starter. As Rosenthal and Lin note, trades this early in the season are uncommon, though Keuchel remains on the table for the Padres if they can reach a compromise on the price tag.

Here’s the latest from around baseball…

  • Following the revelation that MLB teams award a belt to the team that best suppresses its players’ arbitration salaries, several players—including Jameson Taillon, Chris Archer, and Anthony Rizzo—offered their thoughts on the news, in pieces from Nubyjas Wilborn of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Rizzo and others provide insight into the shaky relationship between the players and owners, also commenting on the possibility of a work stoppage when the current CBA expires.
  • Mariners manager Scott Servais said that reliever Hunter Strickland, who suffered a grade 2 lat strain and was recently placed on the 10-day IL, will be out “at least a couple months,” per Greg Johns of MLB.com. In the meantime, then, it appears that Servais and the Mariners will adopt a committee approach to the closer situation, though the current bullpen options for Seattle are not particularly inspiring, with Cory Gearrin at the forefront of a thin group.
  • Rockies fans may have had some concerns after right-handed pitcher Jon Gray left Sunday’s start against the Marlins in the seventh inning after meeting with the team’s trainer on the mound. However, Nick Groke of The Athletic tweets some good news for Colorado, as Gray was merely experiencing calf cramps and is expected to be ready for his next scheduled start.

Quick Hits: Brewers, Kimbrel, Keuchel, Astros, Correa, A’s, Nats

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The Brewers have reportedly engaged in “pretty serious” negotiations of late with closer Craig Kimbrel, who remains available even after the start of the season. Now, having lost closer Corey Knebel to season-ending Tommy John surgery, a union between the Brewers and Kimbrel looks even more plausible on paper. However, barring a massive drop in asking price, the Brewers aren’t in position to sign Kimbrel or the majors’ other big-ticket free agent, starter Dallas Keuchel, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Both Kimbrel and Keuchel rejected a $17.9MM qualifying offer from their previous team at the outset of the offseason. But even if they wind up settling for one-year contracts, odds are those deals will approach or exceed the worth of the qualifying offer. The Brewers, for their part, probably don’t even have half the value of the QO left in their budget, Haudricourt relays, as they’re already sporting a franchise-record Opening Day payroll. As a result, Haudricourt posits they’re more likely to rely on in-house reinforcements such as injured reliever Jeremy Jeffress and on-the-mend starter Jimmy Nelson than splurge on one of the two star free agents sitting on the open market.

More from around the game…

  • Astros shortstop Carlos Correa is likely to make his season debut Sunday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle suggests. Correa suffered a neck strain a week ago, which has left short to the error-prone Aledmys Diaz and elite third baseman Alex Bregman so far this season. Upon his return, the 24-year-old Correa will aim to rebound from a surprisingly pedestrian 2018 campaign, his second straight injury-limited season.
  • Athletics catcher Chris Herrmann, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee toward the beginning of March, expects to miss eight to 10 weeks, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The recipient of a $1MM guarantee over the winter, Herrmann had the inside track on a season-opening roster spot before going under the knife. His injury opened the door for minor league signing Nick Hundley to join holdover Josh Phegley as the Athletics’ top two catchers. Hundley and Phegley have gotten off to slow starts in the early going.
  • Nationals left-hander Vidal Nuno III decided not to exercise his March 27 opt-out clause, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post tweets. Nuno, who did not make the Nats’ season-opening roster, will have another chance to exit his minor league deal June 15 if he’s still with the organization. In the meantime, the 31-year-old is set to begin the season at the Triple-A level, per Dougherty. Nuno spent most of 2018 in Triple-A with the Rays, but he did amass 33 innings in the majors and pitch to a stingy 1.64 ERA (alongside an unspectacular 4.46 FIP and a paltry 28.6 percent groundball rate) with 7.91 K/9 and 2.73 BB/9.

Quick Hits: Keuchel, Chapman, Tropicana Field

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Paul Goldschmidt became the first Cardinal ever with a 3-homer game this early in the year, the Dodgers and Diamondbacks battled it out for over 6 hours in LA, and the new-look Padres are in first place after a 2-0 start. In other words, baseball action is underway. So, too, is Dallas Keuchel finding an early season groove, though he’s stuck behind the scenes.  The slick-fielding, bearded lefty throws a 95-pitch simulated game every five days to stay ready for a fashionably late start to the 2019 season, whenever that may be. Meanwhile, agent Scott Boras is working the phones, in talks with multiple teams, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter). It’ll be a short season wherever he signs, but hopefully his current regimen will ease Keuchel into a faster (and smoother) transition than some late-signees in year’s past. In other news around the MLB…

  • There’s growing interest in Aroldis Chapman’s drop in velocity as he averages “only” 95.3 mph on his famed heater, per George A. King III of the New York Post. Especially after a similar drop in velocity led to Dellin Betances starting the season on the injured list, scouts in New York are keenly tracking Chapman’s velo moving forward. As of now, they’re split on its significance. There is attributing the dip in velocity to the colder weather, there’s supposing the Yanks are making an intentional effort to make Chapman less of a “thrower” and more of a “pitcher,” and there are those more focused on an increase in breaking ball usage and the lack of swing-and-miss in Chapman’s game thus far. Regardless, there’s hardly sample enough to sound the alarms two days into the season. New teammates Zack Britton and Adam Ottavino keep the Yankees well-stocked in back-end options should Chapman’s dip in velo prove a harbinger of an underlying health issue.
  • The Rays are fine-tuning their new blue-lit roof in an effort to improve visibility, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Though the goal for the blue lighting is to make the white baseball more visible to outfielders, it’s a failed initiative thus far. Tommy Pham and Austin Meadows, at least, reported more difficulty tracking the baseball after some post-game testing. The Rays will continue to tinker with the brightness and hue of the Trop’s roof, but Major League Baseball may have a say as well before the new lighting is implemented in-game. The enclosure at Tropicana Field has long been a source of quirky drama, and this new lighting venture certainly adds to the singular nature of playing professional baseball in Tampa Bay.

The Market Situation For Dallas Keuchel

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Precisely why Dallas Keuchel remains unemployed isn’t entirely known or even knowable. Perhaps he squandered early market opportunities with too high an asking price. It may be that he’s still holding out unrealistic demands. On the other side, clubs are arguably far too willing to roll the dice on fresh young arms. Perhaps they’re too determined to maintain mid-season and future financial flexibility at the expense of immediate, season-long improvements.

[RELATED: Historical Market Price Points For Dallas Keuchel]

The market has been quiet. Last we heard any news on Keuchel, agent Scott Boras said that the accomplished hurler was building up arm strength just as he would have in a team’s camp. While the market situation remains extremely foggy, Boras added that offers were still coming in. Keuchel still isn’t willing to take a “pillow contract,” Andy Martino of SNY.tv tweets today, so it seems he’s still holding out hope for a multi-year arrangement of some kind. He could follow the Kendrys Morales approach of waiting until the June draft to sign, thus shedding the requirement that a signing team surrender draft compensation, but that’s hardly the preferred means of procuring a desirable, long-term deal.

The real question remains: what teams are really motivated to go after Keuchel? We’ve looked previously at the market setting for the other unsigned hurler of note, Craig Kimbrel. Now we’ll do so with respect to Keuchel, taking a somewhat different angle of approach. While both are entering age-31 seasons in search of big money, with potential luxury tax ramifications for the signing team, their different pitching roles make for different market circumstances.

Rather than trying to create labels or categories, we’ll just run through the possibilities in narrative form. Here’s how the market breaks down …

It’s rarely wise to rule out teams entirely, but some teams lack the outlook and resources to be worthy of further consideration. The Orioles and Marlins can safely be scratched off the list of possibilities. It’d be nothing short of shocking to see the Royals make such a move when the club is already pushing high-priced starters into the bullpen. While the Giants and Rangers have much greater spending capacity, they’ve already got staffs full of veterans that include some significant financial commitments. The Tigers also seem to have already placed their bets for the coming season.

Neither is it really possible to envision a path for certain teams that have real hopes of winning seasons in 2019. The Indians and Pirates are low-budget contenders that don’t have the need to spend in the rotation; the Cubs and Red Sox are big-budget contenders that have full starting units and have probably already committed their 2019 payroll.

It’s not much easier to see a variety of other contending teams as Keuchel pursuers, though as we go down the line it becomes somewhat easier to imagine a move. The Boras connection to the Nationals means you can never say never, but the organization wants to stay below the luxury line and already has promised rotation spots to give hurlers. While some injuries arguably create an opening for the Dodgers, they still have ample options on hand and it’s tough to imagine them shoe-horning yet another pitcher onto their 40-man.  Similarly, the Yankees have options — a trio of young arms holding down the fort with Luis Severino, CC Sabathia, and Gio Gonzalez waiting in the wings — but could still stand to stamp out some uncertainty. In years past, one or more of these clubs might have shrugged and thrown a stack of cash at Keuchel. It doesn’t feel very likely in this climate, particularly with the luxury tax implications for all of these clubs.

Several lesser-spending teams arguably make more sense on paper, but still feel unlikely. The Rockies, Reds, Cardinals, and Brewers could upgrade a rotation spot and boost their depth by adding Keuchel, but all likely feel it wouldn’t be enough of an improvement to warrant the cost with other, more pressing areas of need on their rosters.

Perhaps there’s a bit more cause for a pair of other National League clubs to consider a bold move. Like the above-mentioned teams, the value of a win is quite high given the densely packed divisions. But there’s a stronger case for Keuchel in particular for the Mets and Phillies. Both organizations have already already spent big on veterans. The former could bite the bullet and knock Jason Vargas out of the rotation. The latter could plug the higher-floor Keuchel into the starting unit while deploying Vince Velasquez as a potentially fascinating multi-inning reliever.

There’s at least an argument to be made for some other teams to take a look at the right price, even if the move would largely be future-oriented. Several American League clubs are lining up for a 2020 push — and surely also realize there’s at least some opening to surprise in the current year. At the right price point, Keuchel could be a value on a multi-year deal. The Mariners are always tinkering. The White Sox missed on their biggest targets. The Blue Jays added a few low-cost veterans but have tons of rotation uncertainty now and in the future. And on the NL side, the Diamondbacks are attempting to stay competitive while undergoing some roster changes.

Here’s about where things start to get interesting. The Rays already spent on Charlie Morton, but could consider Keuchel on much the same theory if the deal is short enough in length. While the Twins picked up Martin Perez to fill out their rotation, and have some younger depth pieces as well, the teams still has only meager future commitments and a big opportunity in the division.Neither of these teams really wants to spend on Keuchel past the present season, but there’s an argument that both should strongly consider making an exception.

Hopping over to the AL West, there are three clubs that make some degree of sense. The incumbent Astros know Keuchel better than anyone. They have kept in touch all winter long and remain an obvious fall-back spot, though it doesn’t seem they’ll move up their offer with so many internal options still available. The Angels and Athletics have ample need in the rotation. The public indications are that they’re fresh out of spending availability, but both organizations could justify stretching for Keuchel at this time.

Perhaps no teams in baseball make greater sense, though, than the Padres and Braves. It’s already an eye-popping offseason in San Diego, with Manny Machado coming aboard and top prospects Fernando Tatis Jr. and Chris Paddack making the Opening Roster, but the club’s rotation is still loaded with uncertainty. The Atlanta organization is defending a division title against three strong adversaries, has made it clear it has financial resources available now and in the future, and has seen several notable health questions arise in camp.

It’s hard to call any team in baseball an obvious favorite at this point. An injury could change the field quite a bit, though it’s anyone’s guess whether and when that might occur and Keuchel’s appeal as an immediate option will not exactly grow as he sits on the sidelines. It’s a tough spot for the veteran.

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