MLB
Beardless In The Bronx?
After taking two out of three games at home from the rival Boston Red Sox, the Yankees sit atop the American League East with a record of 38-20, good enough for a 2.5 game lead on the second place Rays and putting them 8.5 games ahead of the Red Sox. Meanwhile, a whole chunk of talent remains on the Injured List. Yet even while almost fully depleted, the Yanks are still very much in the hunt for the best record in baseball and have a real shot at competing for a World Series title. Is Dallas Keuchel the last missing piece?
Even with the team putting up solid numbers all around and staying in the thick of things, the Yankees are looking to improve their roster any way possible, specifically the starting rotation. Former Houston Astros lefty Dallas Keuchel has been on the open market for some time now, as he did not sign a deal this past summer as a free agent. The one time Cy Young Award Winner is coming off a season in which he went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA and 153 strikeouts and helped carry the Astros to the ALCS.
The Astros offered Keuchel a $17.9 million qualifying offer that would have kept him in Houston for another year. But since he declined it, any team that signed him prior to the 2019 MLB Draft would have needed to give up their first-round pick or slot money as compensation for Keuchel.
Benefits Of Signing Keuchel
Now that the Draft is underway, adding Keuchel seems like a no brainer. He’s a legit top of the rotation starter with a five-pitch repertoire and has proven his ability to start in big-time playoff games. Also, as we inch closer to the trade deadline, adding any significant talent without giving up any core pieces of the team or farm system is a major win-win situation.
Adding Keuchel as depth to an already strong rotation on a contract for the rest of the year without losing any compensation picks or money is an easy call, especially for a team like the Yankees who seem to be plagued by injury every couple of games. As long as Keuchel is willing to shave his glorious beard to come to the Bronx, the Yanks should do everything in their power to bring him in and add him to a team chasing number 28.
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Written By Avi Nat
Photo Credit to Arturo Pardavila III via Flickr
