The Pittsburgh Pirates are led by Paul Skenes in the rotation, but there is trade value beyond him that other teams could count on.
Bleacher Report writer Joel Reuter suggested a trade that would send Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller to the Athletics for outfielder Colby Thomas, shortstop Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, and utility player Brennan Milone.
“Keller signed a five-year, $77 million extension prior to the 2024 season, but he is still owed $55.7 million over the final three seasons of that back-loaded
deal,” Reuter wrote. “This package allows them to shed that payroll in exchange for a MLB-ready outfielder with a great minor league track record (Colby Thomas), a quality shortstop prospect coming off a strong run in the Arizona Fall League (Joshua Kuroda-Grauer) and a bat-first prospect who has produced in the upper minors (Brennan Milone).”
This is a common theme for the Pirates trading off players as soon as they get any kind of value. So far Keller has been an exception to the rule because he has been involved in trade rumors for the past couple of years, but he has yet to be traded. As his deal becomes more expensive, it makes more sense for the Pirates to move on.
The Pirates would probably feel more comfortable trading Keller if they knew they were good in the rotation outside of Skenes. It’s hard to imagine a deal like this gets done before Opening Day, but there is reason to believe a midsummer trade could take place if the Pirates are sellers at the deadline and Keller has a strong first half of the season.
BD community, what do you think of the possibility of trading Keller? Chime off in the comments section below.
