The Toronto Blue Jays could reinforce their rotation with a sturdy veteran at the trade deadline.
The Toronto Blue Jays are in the thick of the playoff hunt, and one more starting pitcher could take them over the top.
Currently, there are a lot of moving parts in the Toronto rotation. Chris Bassitt, Kevin Gausman, and José Berríos are all in their mid-thirties, and Max Scherzer is 40 and often injured. Meanwhile, Bowden Francis struggled mightily before landing on the injured list.
If the 55-41 Blue Jays can add a veteran to stabilize things, their rotation could help keep them on top in a hotly contested division race with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
Is Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller the right veteran for the job?
On Tuesday, Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut suggested that Keller could be a match for the Blue Jays at the trade deadline, as Pittsburgh likely seeks to get out of paying the final 3 1/2 years of his five-year. $77 million extension.
"It’s quite remarkable that the Toronto Blue Jays are tied for the most wins in MLB (25) since June 1, despite their starting rotation ranking 24th in ERA (4.87) over that 38-game span," Johnson wrote.
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"Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins has made it clear the team will be ultra-aggressive this summer, and that’s the kind of approach it will take to acquire a playoff-caliber starter who is under contract through 2028. Acquiring Keller would add stability to the rotation, and Toronto could feel confident he would regularly provide quality starts."
Keller, 29, has pitched to a 3.48 ERA through 20 starts this season. His 119 innings pitched rank ninth in all of baseball, and his 14 quality starts tie him for second, only one behind league leader Logan Webb.
Is Keller an ace? Probably not, though he was an All-Star a couple of years ago. But the Blue Jays have enough innings eaters that adding him to the mix might put them over the top in terms of rotation depth compared to their rivals.
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Category: Baseball
