Dallas Keuchel, once one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball, found himself out of a job last week when the Chicago White Sox designated him for assignment. Now, he’s found a new team and a new deal.
The 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner is heading to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a minor league deal, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
Keuchel spent five seasons in Houston with Diamondbacks pitching coach Brent Strom. Will head to Triple A. Deal includes an out if he is not promoted to majors by certain date. https://t.co/eYbaNDXPaY
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 6, 2022
The 34-year-old posted a 7.88 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 32 innings this season before he was DFA’d. But it’s still not that long since he was considered a solid starter. In 2020, he held a 1.99 ERA in 63 1/3 innings in the shortened MLB season, finishing fifth in AL Cy Young voting. He also went 9-9 for the White Sox in 2021.
The deal reunites Keuchel with current D-backs pitching coach Brent Strom, both of whom worked together in Houston. Specifically, Strom was his pitching coach when he won the Cy Young, so there’s a hope that they can find that old magic once more.
According to Rosenthal, the deal includes an opt-out if Keuchel is not promoted to the Major Leagues by a certain date.
