Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
As the offseason continues, there are multiple quality starting pitchers available on the free agent market. One of those is veteran Merrill Kelly, who split time between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers last season.
Kelly was traded to the Rangers at the deadline, but he only made 10 starts for the team. In that time, he seemed to struggle a little, posting an ERA of 4.23 while with Texas.
His numbers with the Diamondbacks were much better as he put up an ERA of 3.22 over 22 starts. As he enters free agency, teams may be wary of both his issues this past season and his age.
Since Kelly didn’t have the season that he may have hoped for entering free agency, his options around the league could be limited. Kelly remains a decent enough pitcher who could slot into the backend of a starting rotation for next season.
Texas may look to bring him back, and they could hope that he will return to form. The Rangers need help in the starting rotation, and at least Kelly is familiar with the team now.
However, the veteran arm may prefer to latch on with a contending team, but that all remains up in the air at this point. Kelly may have to take what he can get on the open market, especially since he struggled with the Rangers after being traded.
There could be a few teams that are interested in giving him a small contract, and he could still be an impactful player. But where he may land is a mystery, and he will likely be signed after the bigger names all get taken.
This is just a prediction, NOT a report!
More MLB Content From TWSN:
No, The Los Angeles Dodgers Aren’t Ruining Baseball
The Dream Free Agent Signing For Every MLB Team
Top 5 World Series Game 7s of All Time
Pittsburgh Pirates Will Sign Merrill Kelly
One team that could use the services of Kelly for the upcoming season is the Pittsburgh Pirates. While Pittsburgh isn’t being viewed as a contender, they do have a need for backend starting pitching, and Kelly could help fill the role.
The veteran could come in to act as a mentor for the younger pitching staff, and he could give this team some quality innings. The Pirates have to start building toward the future, and adding someone like Kelly could help.
Pittsburgh always seems to bring in someone like this every offseason, and Kelly could be next in line. If anything, Kelly could try to reestablish his value around the game and potentially enter back into free agency next offseason.
For the Pirates, the best-case scenario would be that Kelly pitches well enough for them to then flip him for assets at the trade deadline. This could be a real win-win for each side, and that could make it interesting for the veteran right-hander.