The Chicago Cubs have hyper-focused on depth this offseason. Specifically, they’ve pursued pitching depth.
Last season, the front office came under fire after the full-on collapse of the bullpen put the team in a hole from which they couldn’t emerge. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, himself, has publicly lamented his team being caught unprepared when certain key pitching elements failed to deliver in the first half of the 2024 campaign.
So, this season, Chicago has gone all-out in making sure that what happened last year won’t happen again this year.
Chicago Cubs, Hyper-Focused On Pitching Depth
The team added lefty starter Matthew Boyd via free agency. They added closer Ryan Pressly and relievers Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Brasier, Eli Morgan, and swing man Colin Rea. There have also been several additions brought to the team via minor league deals.
One of the more intriguing signees– Brad Keller— came at the end of January and, at the time, it was very much an under-the-radar move.
Keller was drafted in the eighth round by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2013, but was eventually selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Cincinnati Reds, who then traded him to the Kansas City Royals.
The right-hander impressed in his 2018 rookie season as a swing man, working as both a starter and a reliever, with a 3.08 ERA in 41 games.
He would go on to earn a full-time starter gig with the Royals, but have diminishing success in that role after the abbreviated 2020 season. Eventually, he’d be put back in a swing man role and then hit free agency at the end of 2023. Last season, he posted a 5.44 ERA in 16 games split between the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox.
Brad Keller Has Impressed
So far this year, however, Keller has impressed as a spring training non-roster invitee Cub, even adding upwards of 3.5 mph to his four-seam fastball.
He’s impressed to such a degree that manager Craig Counsell, who reportedly played a pivotal role in bringing him to the team, may place him on the opening day roster. At the very least, the 29-year-old Keller may have done enough to earn a spot on the Cubs’ 40-mam roster.
Patrick Mooney of The Athletic recently talked up Keller’s chances of making the roster:
“Brad Keller has an opt-out clause in his contract, and his velocity jump and mechanical improvements have opened eyes in the Cactus League, league sources said, meaning the Cubs will likely add him to their roster at some point rather than watch him get taken by another team at the end of spring training. In a sign of the club’s initial interest and belief in Keller’s potential, Cubs manager Craig Counsell joined an offseason video conference with Keller, participating in the presentation before he signed his minor-league deal. Keller would earn a $1.5 million major-league salary in Chicago.”
Keller May Be A Keeper
As mentioned by Mooney, Keller’s opt-out clause makes him an “add him or lose him” player for the team. And, with that fifth starter spot still up for grabs following Javier Assad’s oblique injury, Chicago appears to very much want another starting pitching option with major league experience to add to the mix.
Counsell has been happily surprised by Keller’s spring training showing and has described it as “a little more than we expected.” He’s also taken note of the potential he possesses as a pitcher once considered a high-level performer.
“This is a pitcher who had big success in the league at a younger age,” Counsell told The Athletic in late February. “I always take note of that. It’s in there. That’s the guy we want.”
As of right now, Keller looks to be a keeper for the Cubs.
Chicago Cubs right-hander has the inside track to the be the fifth starter: Insider
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