Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller has been popular in trade rumors leading up to Thursday's deadline. Surprisingly, though, Keller will "likely" remain with the Pirates, sources have told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Pirates haven't found any offers to their liking, and they're not in any rush to give away Keller after signing him to a reasonably priced extension before the 2024 campaign. Now in the second season of a five-year, $77 million contract, Keller has notched a 3.69 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP, 100 strikeouts, and 33 walks over 127 innings. The 29-year-old has also racked up 15 quality starts in 22 tries, but he has only managed a 4-10 record because of the Pirates' lack of offense.

The Pittsburgh Pirates "do not yet have clarity" on whether they want to move starting pitcher Mitch Keller, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Rosenthal writes that the "right offer would tempt" Pittsburgh, but that some in the organization believe that keeping the team's core together is the best strategy for future contention. Keller is under contract through 2028, so there's no immediate pressure for the Pirates to move him. However, the 29-year-old is in the midst of one of his better seasons, so this could be the time for the team to sell high. In 125 innings (21 starts), Keller is 4-10 with a 3.53 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 97 strikeouts. His 5.8% walk rate is the lowest of his career. A move to a contender would improve Keller's ability to rack up wins with more consistency.

The Toronto Blue Jays have interest in trading for Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller, according to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Keller has also reportedly been the subject of trade discussions with the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs. The 29-year-old righty is under contract through the 2028 season at an average annual value of $18.5 million. In 119 innings pitched (20 starts) in 2025, Keller has logged a 3.48 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 92 strikeouts. His 18.7% strikeout rate is his lowest since a five-start sample in 2020, but his 0.68 HR/9 and 5.5% walk rate are both the best of his career. A trade to a contender would certainly help Keller's win outlook, as he's recorded just three wins this season despite his solid overall numbers.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller is known to have multiple teams pursuing him in advance of the July 31 trade deadline. Add the New York Yankees to the list of interested clubs, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. It's a logical fit: Keller could be among the top starters on the move in the next two weeks, and the injury-riddled Yankees are in the market for established rotation help. The 29-year-old has at least shown to be a competent innings-eater in recent seasons, including 2025. Despite a 3-10 record, he held his own in the first half of the season, tallying 14 quality starts with a 3.48 ERA (3.81 xERA), a 1.14 WHIP, and 92:27 K:BB over 119 frames. Keller is on a $15 million salary and in the second season of a five-year, $77 million contract. That's reasonable compensation for what Keller brings to the table, but he could prove too pricey for the Yankees if they're determined to limit luxury tax penalties.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller is drawing interest from the New York Mets, according to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Keller has been popular in rumors leading up to the July 31 trade deadline, which makes sense for multiple reasons: He's a quality starter who's under reasonably priced control through 2028, and the last-place Pirates are surefire sellers. Keller has been a solid mid- to back-end starter dating back to 2022, and the 29-year-old is on track for a career campaign this year. He has tossed 106 1/3 innings of 3.64 ERA ball with 84:26 K:BB and a 1.19 WHIP. While Keller has gone a horrid 3-10, that's largely thanks to a lack of run support. Moving to a contender like the Mets would give Keller a better chance to rack up wins, which would be a plus for him and fantasy managers. The Mets have dealt with injuries in their rotation throughout the season and recently lost righty Griffin Canning for the year because of a ruptured left Achilles tendon. With that in mind, Keller is a logical target for New York.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller improved to 3-10 with a superb showing in a 5-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. Keller blanked the Cardinals over seven innings while allowing five hits and posting seven strikeouts against one walk. Despite his unsightly win-loss record, the 29-year-old has performed well this season. Keller has amassed a dozen quality starts while pitching to a 3.64 ERA with 84:26 K:BB and a 1.19 WHIP in 106 1/3 innings. Notably, there have been trade rumors centering on Keller as the July 31 deadline nears. A change of scenery for Keller could be positive news for fantasy managers, as moving from the last-place Pirates to a contender would give him a better chance to pile up wins. For now, he's slated to toe the rubber in a road start against the Kansas City Royals' low-ranked offense on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller has drawn interest from the Chicago Cubs, reports Bruce Levine. However, getting a deal done could be challenging due to a seller's market, as one general manager states that 25 teams feel like they have a wild card chance. A trade of Keller to Chicago would boost his chance of getting wins, but Wrigley would be a park downgrade for the right-hander. The 29-year-old has been mediocre this season, posting a 4.02 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 73 strikeouts and 24 walks in 94 innings. He's next scheduled to pitch Saturday against the Mets.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller turned in a quality start in a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in 13 innings on Wednesday. Keller threw 7 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing four hits, walking one, and striking out six but had to settle for a no-decision in the extra-inning game. The veteran hurler has now made three starts for the Pirates this season, posting a 1-1 record, 4.24 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts spanning 17 innings of work. Keller is not a must-start in fantasy, but he is worth a look as a potential streaming option in favorable matchups moving forward.

According to Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Pirates have made starting pitchers Jared Jones and Mitch Keller available for trade at the Winter Meetings. Destin noted Jones is "very available." The Pirates have expressed interest in acquiring some offensive pieces, and moving one of these starting pitchers would put them in a good position to acquire a potent bat. Keller has typically operated as the workhorse in the Pittsburgh rotation, logging over 175 innings in each of the past two seasons. Last summer, Keller posted a 4.25 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Jared Jones made his major league debut last summer and showed great potential. In his first 121 2/3 big league innings, the young right-hander held a 4.14 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while generating a strong 26.2% K rate. With Paul Skenes looking like a clear ace and Bubba Chandler nearing his major league debut, moving one of these starters could provide Pittsburgh a much-needed spark to their lineup.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller was stellar in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Rangers. Keller pitched seven innings, allowing just three hits and no walks with nine strikeouts. This was a welcome outing for the Pirates and fantasy managers, as Keller had allowed a combined 15 earned runs in his previous two starts. His performance has fluctuated at times, but the 28-year-old is now 11-7 with a 3.76 ERA, an 8.13 K/9 rate, and a 2.43 BB/9 rate in 25 starts and 148 1/3 IP. His next start is slated to be a decent matchup against the Cubs. Hopefully, he can string together another solid outing.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller struggled in an 8-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. Keller allowed eight runs on eight hits over five innings while striking out two and walking two to take the loss. Most of the damage came via a three-run homer in the first inning and a two-run shot in the third. Keller has mostly pitched well this season but he's really struggled over his past two starts, having allowed 15 earned runs in nine innings over that span. Overall, he has a 10-7 record, 3.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 125 strikeouts over 141 1/3 innings of work. Keller will look to get back on track in his next start which is set for Tuesday against the Texas Rangers. Fantasy gamers might want to leave him on the bench for that outing, thanks to his recent rough stretch.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller looked solid on the mound during Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The right-hander struck out six batters while allowing only two runs on two hits in a no-decision. Keller went seven strong innings, but the offensive support came after he was out of the game. He'll take a 3.30 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 114/34 K/BB ratio into a rematch against the D-Backs next weekend.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller dominated the New York Mets in Monday's start, logging a quality start with six strikeouts over eight innings. Keller allowed two runs, a two-run home run off the bat of Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo, but that didn't prevent him from picking up his 10th win of the year. The 28-year-old right-hander is as steady as they come for fantasy managers, posting a 3.40 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 102 punchouts and 27 walks over 111 1/3 frames (18 starts) for the Pirates this season. Keller is lined up to take the ball one more time before the All-Star break, which is scheduled for Saturday's favorable matchup with the last-place Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller threw six innings of one-run ball in Saturday's 8-1 victory over the Blue Jays. The righty allowed just five hits and a walk while striking out eight. The outing marked his fifth straight quality start, going 5-0 with a 1.34 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and a 16.7% K-BB% over that stretch. The former second-round draft pick is having a solid season overall as well, going 7-3 with a 3.42 ERA (3.47 FIP), 1.22 WHIP, and a 66:20 K:BB over 12 starts (73 2/3 IP). The 28-year-old will look to keep rolling when he toes the rubber against the Twins in his next start at home on Friday.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller picked up his fourth straight quality start in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Braves. Keller pitched six-and-two-thirds innings of one-run ball, scattering six hits and striking out four batters while walking none. The outing lowered his season ERA to 3.59 (3.67 FIP) and the righty's WHIP now stands at 1.24. The former second-round draft pick isn't striking out as many batters as we're used to seeing (20.2% K%), but he's also reduced his HR/FB% to a career-low of 8.5% through 11 starts which has helped limit damage. The win was his sixth of the season, and hopefully he can sustain this success throughout the year, as last season he faded in the second half (first half 3.31 ERA, .278 wOBA vs. second half 5.59 ERA, .355 wOBA).

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller was sensational in Monday's 4-1 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels, tossing nine innings of one-run ball on five hits (one home run) and one walk while striking out five en route to a complete-game win. Other than Zach Neto's solo shot in the sixth inning, Keller kept Anaheim's bats quiet all evening for easily his most impressive start of the 2024 regular season. Entering the day with a rocky 5.18 ERA, Keller improved it to a 4.43 ERA to go with a 1.33 WHIP and 44:16 K:BB over 49 frames (eight starts) for the Pirates this year. The 28-year-old right-hander aims to build on this effort in Sunday's series finale at home versus the Chicago Cubs for his next scheduled start, where he'll be a hit-or-miss fantasy bet. Keller fired eight scoreless innings in one of his two starts against the Cubs last year, but he gave up seven runs in his other appearance versus Chicago.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller will look to keep up the good work in a Saturday outing versus the visiting Boston Red Sox. After allowing four earned runs in each of his first two starts of the season, the 28-year-old has allowed just two earned runs in each of his last two starts and 13 innings of work. He has 13 strikeouts against just four walks in that time and did not walk a batter across seven innings his last time out. Fantasy managers should certainly be encouraged by his start to the season, even if his 19.8% K% leaves something to be desired as he posted a 25.5% K% last season alongside a healthy 18.8% K-BB%. He should see continued positive ERA regression moving forward as his 3.87 xFIP and 4.09 SIERA sit well below his 4.50 ERA on the young season.

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that right-hander Mitch Keller will start on Opening Day on March 28 against the Marlins in Miami. This doesn't come as a surprise at all, especially after the club announced a five-year, $77 million extension with Keller earlier on Thursday. The 27-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2023 and finished 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA (3.80 FIP) and 1.24 WHIP with 55 walks and a career-high 210 strikeouts in 194 1/3 innings over 32 starts in his fifth year in the majors. Keller was solid in the first half before sporting an ERA over 5.00 in the second half. It was nice to see Keller raise his strikeout rate last year, and his 3.70 xFIP shows that he was perhaps a little bit unlucky in the ERA department. He still has some upside, but he's best drafted as a depth arm for your fantasy rotation in the later rounds.

Right-hander Mitch Keller and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a five-year, $77 million contract extension on Thursday, according to sources. After a breakout season in which he struck out a career-high 210 batters, the 27-year-old Keller will anchor Pittsburgh's starting rotation for the team that drafted him in the second round in 2014 out of high school. The new deal will buy out what would have been Keller's first two years of free agency. In addition to his career-best 210 punchouts last year, Keller went 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 55 walks in 194 1/3 innings over a career-high 32 starts to garner his first All-Star nod. He was solid in the first half but fell apart after the All-Star break with a 5.59 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 13 starts down the stretch. Still, he upped his strikeout rate and isn't a bad No. 4 rotation option for fantasy managers with upside late in drafts.

A key order of business for the Pittsburgh Pirates and general manager Ben Cherington this offseason remains getting a long-term contract extension done with right-hander Mitch Keller. Contract-extension talks gained traction during the middle of last season, but the up-and-down nature of Keller's performance mixed with business led both sides to pause talks until this offseason. The Pirates view Keller, who is entering his second year of arbitration, as someone the would like to give a contract extension to. "We appreciate a lot about who he is," Cherington said of Keller. "He's one of the guys who checks a lot of boxes. He's a guy we would love to see in a Pirates uniform for a long time. We'll see how that plays out." The 27-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2023 and went 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA (3.80 FIP), 1.24 WHIP, 55 walks and a career-high 210 K's in 194 1/3 innings over 32 starts.