The Pittsburgh Pirates have to find some creative ways to upgrade their roster this offseason.
A lot is unknown about how the next handful of months are going to play out amidst CBA negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA and the near certainty that a lockout will begin on December 1.
Pittsburgh will still have time to make moves before that time arrives, though, and if they're going to retool their roster by trading away some of their veterans, Mitch Keller has to go despite some of the potential issues that may pop up when trying to send him elsewhere.
Keller's Poor 2026 Season
From 2022 to 2025, Keller was about as dependable of a No. 3 or 4 starter as any across the league.
Over that span, the right-hander made 126 appearances (124 starts), totaling 707 2/3 innings to the tune of a 4.15 ERA with a 3.94 FIP, 8.4 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 while amassing 8.3 bWAR.
Keller was also an All-Star during the 2023 season and signed a five-year, $77 million extension ahead of the 2024 campaign that stands as the largest contract for a pitcher in franchise history.
Heading into 2026, it was assumed Keller would remain reliable atop the Pirates' rotation next to Paul Skenes.
Instead, after coming out of the gates strong with a scoreless six-inning outing on March 28 against the New York Mets before putting up a 3.86 ERA over five starts in April, Keller began spiraling.
The 30-year-old logged a 5.50 ERA in six May starts before posting a 6.23 ERA across five outings in June and a 4.66 ERA in four trips to the mound during July.
Keller then allowed seven earned runs over two innings to the Cincinnati Reds on August 2 before being ruled out for the remainder of the season with a teres major muscle injury.
In total, Keller finished the season with a 5.29 ERA and 4.54 FIP in 22 starts and 115 2/3 innings.
Why Trading Keller is the Right Move
There likely isn't going to be a litany of suitors lining up to trade for Keller, especially considering he's set to make $18 million in 2027 and $20 million in 2028 and it's all but certain that Pittsburgh will not eat a meaningful amount of that salary.
At the same time, that's a more-than-affordable price tag for a club that isn't as strapped for cash as the Pirates are if they believe they can help Keller return to the same level he pitched at from 2022 to 2025.
Assuming there is a taker for Keller out there that would be willing to take on a vast majority of his remaining contract, Pittsburgh is simply better off using that money on other areas of its roster.
The Pirates already have a stout top of the rotation with Paul Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft and Jared Jones. Bubba Chandler is coming along as well, and while his 4.50 ERA as a rookie wasn't sparkling, he has frontline starter potential.
With top prospect Seth Hernandez not all that far away from the majors, in addition to a slew of other intriguing arms in the upper levels of the minors, Pittsburgh isn't really hurting for depth in the back end of its rotation.
The organization could still use a left-handed starter, though, and moving Keller in order to open up a rotation spot would make fitting one onto the roster far easier.
Trading Keller is easier said than done because of how he performed this past season in addition to his injury as well as the two years left on his deal for a combined $38 million, but if there's any way the Pirates can do so, they should jump at that opportunity.
Add us as a preferred source on Google