Detroit Tigers’ Lance Parrish tried to be switch-hitting third baseman
Detroit Tigers legend Lance Parrish joined the “Days of Roar” podcast, sharing the story of his brief stint as a switch-hitting third baseman.
Remember when the Detroit Tigers tried to convert right-hander Ryan Helsley from reliever to starter, only for him to stay in the bullpen by signing a two-year, $28 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles?
Here we go again.
The Tigers are interested in free-agent right-hander Brad Keller as a starter after his successful 2025 season in the Chicago Cubs‘ bullpen, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the situation is still developing. The 30-year-old is believed to be willing pitch as either a starter or reliever, but the Tigers are talking to him about returning to the rotation.
It wouldn’t be the first time Keller worked as a starter.
Keller started from 2018-23 with the Kansas City Royals in the first six seasons of his eight-year MLB career, then shifted into a hybrid role in 2024 with the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox. He became a full-time reliever for the first time in 2025 with the Cubs, posting a 2.07 ERA with 22 walks and 75 strikeouts across 69â…” innings in 68 games.
His 27.2% strikeout rate was a career high.
Among 287 pitchers with at least 60 innings, Keller tied for 12th with a 2.07 ERA and tied for 22nd with a 2.82 expected ERA. The formula for success: limit hard contact, keep balls in play on the ground and maintain a healthy strikeout-to-walk ratio.
[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
Keller threw five pitches out of the bullpen:Â 42.6% four-seam fastballs, 18.4% sliders, 14% sinkers, 13.3% sweepers and 11.7% changeups. His pitch mix featured an uptick in sweeper usage and a shaper changeup.
He won’t need to add pitches to return to a starting role.
His fastball velocity jumped from 93-94 mph as a starter to averaging 97.2 mph as a reliever, plus he located it in the strike zone more often. All four of his secondary pitches produced whiff rates of at least 25%.
Opponents hit just .208 against his fastball.
Before 2025, Keller posted a 4.34 ERA across 720â…“ innings in 166 games (116 starts) from 2018-24, including a 4.38 ERA in 63 starts from 2019-21 as a full-time member of the Royals’ rotation.
Keller – an eighth-round pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2013 draft – has pitched for the Royals (2018-23), White Sox (2024), Red Sox (2024) and Cubs (2025) throughout his eight-year MLB career, totaling 790 innings in 234 games (117 starts).
He made the Cubs’ 2025 Opening Day roster out of spring training after signing a minor league contract.
This time, the new-and-improved Keller is poised for a two-year contract in free agency – with flexibility to pitch as a starter or reliever in 2026, just like Helsley’s situation.
He could slot in as a mid-rotation starter or serve as a high-leverage reliever.
And he could end up with the Tigers.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon during the season and Tuesday afternoon during the offseason on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.