Photo provided by Matt Lynch
This is one in a series breaking down players on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster.
Mitch Keller again gave the Pirates what’s been expected during the 2025 season. It was another solid year overall, but one that consisted of a strong first half before fading down the stretch.
Prior to the All-Star break, Keller posted a 3.48 ERA through 20 starts but had a 5.65 ERA in 12 starts to end the season. All in all, the Pirates’ most veteran starting pitcher finished the season at 6-15 with a 4.19 ERA in 32 starts, which matched a career-high.
Keller’s career turnaround has been admirable and is why the Pirates signed him to a five-year extension prior to the start of the 2024 season. Over the last four seasons, Keller has a respectable 4.15 ERA and ranks ninth in starts during that span with 124.
This offseason, Keller is widely speculated as a potential trade option and is viewed as someone the Pirates could choose to move in their pursuit of lineup help. The trade buzz dates back to this year’s trade deadline, when several teams reportedly contacted the Pirates, who ultimately decided to stay put.
But the trade buzz is growing as the offseason continues. Keller still has three years remaining on the extension he signed and is owed $55.7 million through 2028. It’s not an exorbitant sum by any means given how he’s pitched, but the Pirates face one question.
Would they be better off paying Keller that money as part of an already-strong starting rotation, or would they be wise to trade him, get offensive help in return and potentially free up more money to make further additions elsewhere?
In a perfect world, the Pirates would be able to keep Keller and improve the offense enough even if he remains in the fold. But given how the organization has historically operated, their best bet is probably to trade him.
However, trading Keller would be a risk. His durability has been his best attribute, and parting with him would leave Pittsburgh with a young rotation consisting of several players who have already had surgeries to their pitching arms. Johan Oviedo, Mike Burrows and Braxton Ashcraft have undergone Tommy John surgery and Jared Jones had internal brace surgery in May.
But in the end, the Pirates have a solid core of starting pitching and enough depth that can still be added to if needed. With a glaring need for offense, there’s a real possibility Keller has thrown his last pitch with Pittsburgh.
Mentioned in this article: Mitch Keller Pittsburgh Pirates
More about: Pirates