Red Sox's Reported 32-Year-Old NPB Signing Explained

The Boston Red Sox added another intriguing hurler with upside on Tuesday.

The Athletic's Will Sammon reported on Tuesday night that Boston agreed to terms on a minor league deal with an invite to big league Spring Training with 32-year-old right-handed hurler Kyle Keller.

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"Reliever Kyle Keller and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a minor league contract with an invite to major league spring training, league sources said," Sammon wrote. "Keller gets $1.9 million if in majors plus $500K performance bonuses. In NPB career (152 1/3 innings), he had a 2.42 ERA."

The Red Sox landed an intriguing hurler

Dec 9, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks with the media at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Keller hasn't pitched in a big league game since 2021. He was an 18th-round pick by the Miami Marlins in 2015 and made his big league debut in 2019 with Miami. Keller made 10 appearances and pitched to a 3.38 ERA. In 2020, he made two appearances in the majors with the Los Angeles Angels. His last big league appearance came with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021 as he made 32 outings and pitched to a 6.48 ERA.

Since then, he has pitched in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants. In Japan, Keller pitched to a 2.21 ERA across 186 total appearances. While he may not be a big-name pickup, he's an intriguing dice roll for a team that has shown that they can get the most out of their pitching.

MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reported that Keller "should have a chance" to make the Red Sox if he has a strong spring.

"Red Sox have signed reliever Kyle Keller to a non-roster deal, source confirms Will Sammon's report," Cotillo wrote. "Keller should have a chance to make the team with a strong spring. Keller last pitched in MLB in '21. [Has] pitched really well in Japan over the last few seasons. ... Keller was a candidate for a major league deal but instead comes aboard as an NRI. The $1.9M MLB salary, as reported, is a high number for a minor league contract. Keller's deal includes two assignment clauses and an opt-out as well as a foreign inquiry clause. ...

"That foreign clause allows him to entertain interest from overseas, where he has proven himself. First opt-out/assignment clause doesn't kick in until mid-April, so Red Sox can have him in Triple-A for a few weeks before then."

So, the Red Sox are getting a 32-year-old righty coming off a great run in Japan. Now, it'll be interesting to see if he can carry that over to big league Spring Training.

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