MLB Insider Believes Pirates Starter Is Best Match for Blue Jays at Deadline
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It has been a fantastic stretch for the Toronto Blue Jays of late, who are now in first place in the American League East.
Following what was an aggressive offseason, the Blue Jays are finally starting to live up to their expectations after they underachieved to start the year.
Toronto has a talented lineup led by their star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. However, a lot of other players have helped round out what has been a top 10 offense in baseball.
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Despite their overall success, there are a couple of areas the front office could look to improve.
One of those areas is in the starting rotation, which ranks in the bottom half of the league in ERA.
Jeff Passan of ESPN recently wrote that Mitch Keller of the Pittsburgh Pirates is the best match for the Blue Jays at the trade deadline.
“Adding Keller solves multiple problems at once. The 29-year-old is producing the best season of his seven-year career with the Pirates, averaging nearly six innings a start and giving up only seven home runs in 106⅓ innings. The Blue Jays need rotation help -- and, in a deal for Keller, could try to get David Bednar, Dennis Santana or Caleb Ferguson from the Pirates to complement an already-good bullpen riding breakouts from Braydon Fisher and Brendon Little.”
Keller is going to be an interesting name worth monitoring at the trade deadline for many contenders. The 29-year-old is still under contract for the next couple of seasons at a reasonable number.
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This will make his trade value a bit higher compared to potential rental pitchers of the same caliber.
However, adding a pitcher under team control for the next few campaigns is a good thing for Toronto, even if they have to trade away a little bit more to get it done.
After this season, the Blue Jays will have two starters hitting free agency, with Kevin Gausman also a free agent after 2026.
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Getting a pitcher the caliber of Keller would not only help this year, but in the future as well.
So far, the right-hander has produced a 3.58 ERA in 19 starts. Even though he was an All-Star a few seasons ago, the right-hander is on pace to have his best year yet.
For more Blue Jays news, head over to Blue Jays On SI.
Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20.