The Chicago Cubs have signed a right-handed pitcher known for his time with the Kansas City Royals. Keller had a deal with the Lotte Marines in Japan’s NPB last November, but it fell through. Now, at 29 years old, he’s joining the Cubs. The news was first reported by Cubs Insider’s Jacob Zanolla on Wednesday.
He made 16 appearances in the majors last year, starting the season with the Chicago White Sox before moving to the Boston Red Sox in late May. He’ll be one of several pitchers on minor league contracts at spring training, competing for a spot on the Cubs’ roster.
Drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2013, Keller debuted with the Royals in 2018, splitting time between the bullpen and starting rotation. He finished his rookie season with a solid 3.08 ERA over 140.1 innings. Between 2018 and 2020, he appeared in 70 games (57 starts) with a 3.50 ERA over 360.1 innings. Though his strikeout rate was modest (16.8%), Keller limited damage with a strong 52.1% ground ball rate.
However, after 2020, Keller’s performance declined. His strikeout rate remained low, and he began allowing more home runs and walks. He posted a 5.39 ERA in 2021, a 5.09 ERA in 2022, and only pitched in 11 games in 2023 due to shoulder issues. Last season, Keller signed a minor league deal with the White Sox, where he made five appearances with a 4.86 ERA in 16.2 innings before being designated for assignment. The Red Sox picked him up, but his struggles continued with a 5.84 ERA in 11 games.
Despite the recent struggles, Keller has continued to generate ground balls, with a 52.8% rate over the last three seasons, which may have caught the Cubs’ attention.
One memorable moment for Keller was in 2019 when he hit White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson with a pitch after Anderson hit a home run and taunted him. Keller was suspended for five games for the incident.
Over 720.1 MLB innings, Keller has a 4.34 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. It remains to be seen if he can regain the effectiveness he showed earlier in his career, and spring training will give us a better sense of what he has left.
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