Following a rough 2025 season, the Baltimore Orioles need to go out and make some moves. For a team as talented as Baltimore, it just doesn’t make sense to lie down and start a rebuild. With that in mind, it would make sense for the Orioles to see if they can trade for Mitch Keller.
The Pittsburgh Pirates should absolutely listen to offers because they need to keep rebuilding. The Pirates won just 71 games last year, and the last time they won more than 80 games was in 2018.
For that reason, it’s important for the Pirates to acquire more youth and prospects. At 29 years old, Keller doesn’t help the Pirates nearly as much as prospects would.
This is a PREDICTION, not a REPORT.
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Mitch Keller Trade Proposal to the Baltimore Orioles
This would be a different conversation if the year were 2023, when Keller had the best season of his career. In 2023, Keller made his first and only All-Star game after a season with a 3.0 WAR, 13-9 record, and a 4.21 ERA.
In 2025, though, Keller had a 1.4 WAR, a 6-15 record, and a 4.19 ERA. Those numbers don’t always tell the full story, though.
When looking at Baseball Savant, Keller wasn’t bad by any means. That’s not to say he was great either, though. Keller was in the 43rd percentile for his Pitching Run Value, but it’s worth noting that he was in the 72nd percentile for his Fastball Run Value.
Two other stats that are worth looking at are xERA and xBA, neither of which were great for Keller. For Keller’s xERA, he was in the 31st percentile, and the 20th percentile for xBA.
A possible trade that could make sense is sending Boston Bateman (9th-ranked prospect in the Orioles farm system) and Caden Bodine (10th-ranked prospect in the Orioles farm system).
The Orioles would need to sacrifice any of their future stars, and even though the Pirates aren’t getting any elite players back, these prospects help them.
Other Mitch Keller Landing Spots
Another idea that makes sense is the Houston Astros. It seems like the Astros have been brought up a ton for pitchers, but there’s a reason why.
Dylan of TWSN broke down why the Astros should make a move for Keller as well. In Dylan’s article he wrote that, “The Astros need to add another high-end starter with a high floor, and that is exactly what Keller is.”
For those same reasons, the Orioles would love to have Keller in the back end of their rotation. If Keller were to head to Houston instead, though, it wouldn’t be shocking.
Mitch Keller Stats
Keller was fine in 2025, but when you take a look at his stats from each year, it’s clear that he’s declining. For starters, the main metric that has dropped since 2023 has been Keller’s WAR.
In 2023, Keller had a 3.0 WAR, which then went down to 2.0 (2024) and then 1.4 in 2025. Not only that, but Keller’s SO/BB mark went from 3.82, then 3.32, and 2.94 ERA.
Mitch Keller Contract
Right now, Keller is in the midst of his five year, $77 million dollar contract with the Pirates per Spotrac. That leaves Keller to hit free agency when he’s 33, which will be in 2029.
The Pirates are in need of young prospects that no one on their team besides maybe Paul Skenes should be untouchable. When taking both sides into account, it would make perfect sense for the Pittsburgh Pirates to trade Mitch Keller to the Baltimore Orioles.