The New York Yankees rotation is without Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt for the remainder of the 2025 MLB season. Intending to make a deep run in October, New York has reportedly joined the mix of clubs pursuing one of the few All-Star starting pitchers available this summer.
Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Yankees “are now in the mix” of clubs pursuing Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
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- Mitch Keller stats (ESPN): 3.48 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 92-27 K-BB ratio, .237 batting average allowed, .644 OPS allowed across 119 innings pitched
Keller, age 29, might be even more attractive to some clubs than Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara. That’s because, as reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN, clubs view Alcantara’s contract as “too big of an impediment,” and the former NL Cy Young Award winner comes with an asking price that teams believe is far too high right now.
The Pirates’ veteran righty is also outperforming Alcantara this year. Across 20 starts, Keller has a 1.14 WHIP and a .236 batting average allowed (BAA), while Alcantara holds a .265 BAA and a 1.48 WHIP in 18 starts.
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- Mitch Keller contract (Spotrac): $15.411 million salary (2025), $16.911 million salary (2026), $18.411 million salary (2027), $20.411 million salary (2028)
New York faces stiff competition for Keller from National League clubs. The Chicago Cubs have pursued him for more than a month, even engaging in serious discussions with the Pirates’ front office. Meanwhile, the New York Mets have made inquiries and engaged in preliminary talks.
Keller would be a playoff-caliber starter for the Yankees’ rotation, and his contract is relatively team-friendly, especially given how well he’s pitched this summer. If New York misses out on Keller, it will likely pursue other starters with multiple years of club control who could be part of the team’s playoff rotation.
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