Report: Mitch Keller Indeed on Trade Block; ‘Pirates Love Nothing More Than Saving Money’
Although it hasn’t even been two years since the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Mitch Keller to an extension, the right-hander has already been the subject of trade rumors.
The Pirates listened as teams called with interest in Keller leading up to the July 31 trade deadline this past season. Although the Pirates ultimately held on to the veteran starter, Keller is once again on the trade market this offseason.
Keller is “more than available,” according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “The Pirates love nothing more than saving money,” he wrote.
Keller concluded his seventh season with the Pirates in 2025 and finished the year at 6-15 with a 4.19 ERA across 32 starts, which matched a career-high.
After prolonged struggles through his first three seasons in the big leagues, Keller has been a reliable presence in the Pirates’ starting rotation each of the last four seasons and has become one of the most durable pitchers in baseball.
Since the start of the 2022 season, Keller owns a solid 4.15 ERA despite an underwhelming 35-48 record, which is more reflective of his team’s struggles as opposed to his individual performance. During that span, only eight pitchers in baseball have made more starts than Keller’s 124, while the 29-year-old ranks 10th in innings pitched with 707.2.
Keller’s resurgence — which included a trip to the National League All-Star Game in 2023 — led the Pirates to signing him to a five-year contract extension worth $77 million in spring training in 2024. There are still three years and nearly $56 million remaining on that deal.
But the expectation is that the Pirates’ payroll — despite already being one of the lowest in baseball — won’t increase in 2026. While Keller has value as a reliable innings-eater, the Pirates have more pressing needs in the lineup and the dollars he’s owed could more wisely be allocated elsewhere.
In a perfect world, the Pirates would be able to keep Keller and still add to the team as they look for their first playoff berth since 2015. But ownership’s stinginess makes it likely that the Pirates will have to get his salary off the books if they want to make meaningful upgrades this offseason.
The Pirates have built an impressive core of young pitchers, but potentially trading away a veteran anchor is a risky course of action, yet one that feels likelier than not given how the organization operates.
More about: Pirates