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Mitch Keller could be a target for the pitching-needy Boston Red Sox.
The Atlanta Braves may be done making meaningful signings. They’ve strongly upgraded the bullpen, addressed their outfield depth, and made several small moves to help with organizational depth.
The one position the Braves have yet to address this offseason is a starting pitcher. While they may not want to enter a bidding war with other teams across MLB for a highly-touted arm, Atlanta could consider making a meaningful trade for a starter.
Sean Murphy became the subject of trade rumors back in July, and while those rumors may have slowed down by national MLB reports, that doesn’t mean the Braves still shouldn’t consider moving on from their $73 million backstop. A recent prediction has the Braves pulling off a player-swap trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates for Mitch Keller.
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JustBaseball.com’s Aram Leighton and Peter Appel recently sparked up a few trade ideas for the Atlanta Braves, and one of them included a player-swap, one-for-one deal:
Braves Receive: RHP Mitch Keller
Pirates Receive: C Sean Murphy
“Peter may have cooked with this one.”
Mitch Keller is another name that has been the subject of trade rumors since July, but he’s gained more traction in terms of possibly being moved.
Justin K. Aller/Getty Images Mitch Keller could be a target for the pitching-needy Boston Red Sox.
It might be time for the Braves to move on from Sean Murphy. He has failed to appear in 100 games in each of the last two years and has hit below .200 in both of those seasons. His upside is predicated on having slight power, but that can’t go into effect if he’s not on the field.
Murphy is set to miss the start of the 2026 season with a hip injury.
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Why Is Mitch Keller a Good Fit for the Braves?
The Atlanta Braves have two starters at the top of their rotation that they feel very comfortable with in Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach, but still, both of those starters dealt with injuries last season, which highlights the need for a starter who can make 30 or more starts per season.
Here is what the JustBaseball.com contributors had to say about Keller’s value:
“Mitch Keller owns a 4.51 career ERA and a 1.38 WHIP over seven seasons in Pittsburgh. However, his FIP has been lower than his ERA in each of the past five seasons, suggesting he has suffered from poor luck. Like the other pitchers discussed, Keller has made at least 30 starts in four straight years.”
Pair that with the numerous young arms the Pirates currently have, and Mitch Keller’s five-year, $77 million contract all of a sudden becomes more disposable.
And when you consider the Pirates could also desperately use some power output from the catcher position, this trade idea isn’t so far-fetched.
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