There have yet to be any extension negotiations between the Astros and Dallas Keuchel, the ace left-hander told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters today. If a long-term deal is struck between the two sides, Keuchel said that it would have to happen by Opening Day — like most players, Keuchel doesn’t want to create a potential distraction for himself and his team by having talks drag into the season.
Keuchel and the Astros did work out a $13.2MM salary for 2018, avoiding arbitration in the southpaw’s final year of arb eligibility. He’ll hit free agency next winter going into his age-31 season and has already lined up some new representation, hiring the Boras Corporation last December. While some high-profile Scott Boras clients (i.e. Stephen Strasburg, Elvis Andrus, Carlos Gonzalez) have worked out major long-term extensions to stay with their teams, Boras generally advises his clients to test the open market, so it remains to be seen if a deal could be struck to keep Keuchel in Houston. The lack of negotiations to this point shouldn’t be seen as a major red flag, as most teams usually wait until later in the spring to fully delve into extension talks with pending free agents.
After winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2015, Keuchel battled some injuries in both 2016 and 2017, posting a 3.79 ERA, 2.83 K/BB rate, 7.7 K/9 and a league-best 61.2% grounder rate over 313 2/3 IP in those two seasons. That 3.79 ERA generally matched his ERA predictors in 2016-17, with the big swing in actual ERA (4.55 ERA in 2016, 2.90 ERA in 2017) likely due to a healthy difference in BABIP (.304 in 2016, .256 in 2017), which naturally has a big impact on a pitcher with so reliant on inducing ground balls. His home run rate has steadily risen in each of the last three seasons, though Keuchel’s hard-hit ball rate also dropped back to his career average after a spike in 2016.
The Astros’ trades for Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole created some speculation that the team was guarding itself against Keuchel’s possible departure, bolstering the rotation with two front-of-the-rotation arms that are under contract through at least the 2019 season. Talks between Keuchel and the Astros, as well as any other negotiations between teams and impending free agents, will be particularly interesting to monitor this spring in the wake of this offseason’s unusual lack of free agent activity. It could be that players are more open to extensions if they’re worried about being stuck without teams next winter, particularly since next year’s market will several huge stars (such as Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, or Josh Donaldson) sure to soak up many of the available dollars.
This will be Kuechels last season as an Astro. It was great watching his 2015 season and a lot of his last year performance, but the Astros have Verlander, Cole, McCullers, Whitley and McHugh as well as Martes, Bukakas and Armentaros, in 2019.
Astros will not be re-signing mr keuchel.
Well, that settles that.
I wonder what the odds are of lincecum landing in Houston, that would definatelly solidify their rotation.
Zero and none
I’m just saying he would be a great addition.
So wouldn’t Babe Ruth
Babe is dead…..
So is Tim’s arm
Are u trying to level out there SP by bringing in a 5+ era
Forgive me , but for the life of me could you please explain WHY Lincecum would be a great addition.
The only thing I could figure is that you never flipped your wall calendar off of 2010…
He is almost a mirror image of Doc Gooden’s TYPE of career. Too many innings pitched at too young of an age, except Gooden was so much better !
He was basically done at 28
Lincecum solidify a rotation? What year you think this is?
If they put Morton or peackock into a relief role they could easily fit Lincecum into the picture. Maybe even move Morton into a closer role?
If you’re not just trolling. Give 5 reasons why Tim Lincecum should be in a Championship rotation in 2018. Not 2013. Today. List them
Well one he can help the bullpen get high!
Notice how he hasn’t responded yet. What a troll.
He’s too busy clocking Tim’s 98mph heater due to his new vegan diet.
If any pitcher is getting out in the bullpen because of a Lincecum signing, it’d be Lincecum.
Sorry, I have a day job I’d like to keep. That requires sleep and showing up on time, I can’t be in the comments 24/7 like you.
Reasons Tim would solidify the rotation.
1: He’s a world champion!
2: He has a 98 mph heater!
3: He’s a veteran pitcher with boat loads of experience that the team could use.
4: He eats up innings.
5: His yoga and vegan inspired diet which he is very strict about sets a great example for his fellow players.
“2: He has a 98 mph heater!” Why didn’t he display it today? The only way he makes a baseball move at 98 is holding it in a speeding car.
May 2016 in his showcase he threw at 9o-91…today 90-92 (although Heyman reported 93). Is he saving the 98 for next week?
After his 2016 showcase he went on to average 88+ and lasted all of 9 games…that isn’t eating up innings….keep your day job.
He didn’t hit 98 today, he did hit 97 though, sos wow, you got me he 97 instead of 98! Still damn good for his age.
He didn’t hit 97 today either….stop the lies.
Where exactly would he fit? Astros don’t need an 8th starter
How would Lincecum help solidify their rotation? If they wanted to get a swingman/long relief guy, there’s plenty, more reliable options on the market right now than Tim.
I’m not sure what you mean by that.
The Boras signing marked his days short with the Stros. Love watching him but he’s come back to earth and will most likely expect an “Arietta” type deal . Sadly, he’s enough time and regressed just enough to shy away from a long term deal.
The Boras signing marks that he’ll be waiting for a contact after spring training starts. I hope all teams are done with him. Glad he finally alienated himself. He only cares about the percent he gets not getting a player the right deal.
I don’t know why people complain so much about Nita, if he was so bad, why players keep hiring him? Has any fan done a survey about how many of his clients are unhappy they hired him? Stop thinking that Boras is dictating to players what to do. These are grown men. If any of you were players, you would do the same thing, how do I know this? Because the majority do. So the guy was making 13mm a year, when we know he was giving the Astros 20mm plus production and when it’s finally his time to cash in, you complain the player want to cash in.
Why don’t you ask Andy Benes, Kendry Morales, A-Rod and Texeira why they left Boras?
that’s nothing compared to the amount other agents lose in terms of players.
The Astros #6 & #7 SP’s went 18-4 last year.
Get that 18-4 out of here Curtis! Pitcher wins and losses are irrelevant!
I would suggest to look at the Hall of Fame and find how many are there with less than 200+ win except for Koufax(dominated/retired because of elbow problems) & Dizzy Dean.
You have fallen for the stupid Sabremetrics crap along with the OBP Garbage.
Remember this; “Getting on Base is a Threat”. “Driving in Runs is Production”
Albert Pujols has Averaged 30.5 HR & 102 RBI in the last 4 years with injuries. Joey Votto has Averaged 25 HR AND 71.5 RBI IN THE LAST 4 years”. Take your pick.
The Last I Heard you Win with Runs driven in.
But you have to be careful saying those values. I don’t know the stats, but…
As Ryan said W/L are irrelevant you can lose 1-0, or win 10-9, what pitcher do you prefer?
The same applies to Pujols/Votto, HR’s is one thing but RBI’s depends on the guys in front of them, what is better, 20RBI’s (batting .200 (20 of 100)) or 15RBI’s (batting .300 (15 of 50))?
Ask the Angels who they would rather have the last couple years Pujols or Votto? Lol it’s not even a discussion the angels would send millions and millions of dollars to get Votto for Pujols if you asked who they would rather have.
The HOF voters have no idea what they are talking about and neither do you. And you can’t drive in runs if there is no one on base to drive in.
Tavares….Baseball is not played in a vacuum and stats cannot be viewed that way either. Is a W/L record the best way to evaluate a pitcher? No, but it is not totally irrelevant when taken in context and conjunction with all performance based stats.
You cited 2 extremes 1-0 & 10-9. I can cite an extreme as well. A team has a terrible year wins only 59 games. Of those 59 wins one pitcher tallies 27 wins on an atrocious team. That total alone is a mildly relevant indicator of the pitchers prowess but it holds up better when viewed with a sub 2 ERA, and leading the league in K’s, ERA+, CG, FIP, No single stat defines a player, not even WAR until all things are considered and that includes the actual game situations.
The “in” thing now is to laugh when someone cites BA and say that OBP matters most. OBP is important but lost in the arrogance is BA comprises most of a players OBP. Which is more productive, a one out deep sac fly to right moving a runner from 2nd to 3rd or a single that drives him in?
If I have a man on 3rd and one out I would rather have Moustakas and his career .251 BA and .305 OBP at the dish than Gallo and his .201/.321.
Stats have to be looked at in context, in relation to the game, to situations. No stat is irrelevant when viewed in context.
Yeah, you are extremely correct
English is not my language, so by the time I wrote, I couldn’t “find” some words to express myself, and your phrase “Stats have to be looked at in context” is what I was looking for, instead of that I wrote “you have to be careful saying those values”, and my reference for “1-0 & 10-9” is one of that context, I can lose games having a better ERA, FIP, etc than a winning pitcher (as Ryan said below 2015: Shelby Miller and Colby Lewis)
My bad for not explaining better 🙁
Although, for me, W/L are irrelevant to determine if a pitcher is good or not
Your OBP explanation is spot on, when I hear people saying that BA isn’t good, and that OBP is what really matters, I keep thinking: 2outs, runners on 2nd and 3rd, a walk doesn’t change a thing, but a hit does
Tavares……You explained yourself well enough and better than some who do “speak” only English. I agree that “W/L are irrelevant to determine if a pitcher is good or not” if that is the only stat being used in an argument. When taken in full context it is still relevant. BTW, my example did happen, look at 1972 Phillies and Steve Carlton.
Steve Carlton’s 27 wins on a terrible team were a product of him being a great pitcher. He wasn’t a great pitcher BECAUSE he got 27 wins on a terrible team. If the offense had scored zero runs every time Carlton pitched in 1972 he would have gone 0-32. If that had happened my opinion of him wouldn’t change one bit and neither should yours.
W/L is completely irrelevant and anyone who says differently must be stricken down.
“He wasn’t a great pitcher BECAUSE he got 27 wins on a terrible team.” I never stated that, even a child can see I never said that. Is your comprehension limited only to your own blather?
Going through life with blinders on, processing an unequaled arrogance, the inability to understand the simplest concepts and lack of social skills is more of a reason to be struck down and banned from reproducing….you fit them all. I said once a while back that I would not be bothering to interact with you but…everyone bends a rule once in a while. Please use birth control…the world already has too many problems. Back to ignoring you…buh-bye
I’m sick and tired of people like you bringing up Steve Carlton like he somehow makes wins and losses a relevant stat. Look at his ERA and IP that season and it’s abundantly clear why he had 27 wins. It is possible to have that kind of record from pitching poorly, however and has happened plenty of times in the past. If you can’t understand that then YOU are the one who should be banned from reproducing.
It’s not arrogance, it’s a low tolerance for uneducated comments.
“Lack of social skills.” Look in a mirror kid.
Pujols was the second best Clutch Hitter last year.
They would take a 102 RBI & 30.5 HR for the last 4 years to a guy who hit 25 HR and only drove in 71.5 runs per year in the last 4 years. Their contract are very similar.
The only way they score is if someone drives them in.
How many times have you heard a manager say that despite all the base runners they did not get the key hit. Therefore, they lost.
Joey Votto was not given 250 million to get on base but to hit HR and Drive in Runs!!
Apparently you would rather have a guy like Votto who drives in 286 Runs over a 4 year period, over a guy, Pujols, who drives in 408 runs over 4 year period, a Plus 122 more Runs driven in than Votto over the same 4 year period.
The guy who had the 20 RBI gave his team a better chance to win. The more runs driven in give his team a better chance to win.
HR are automatic AND individually RBI.
122 to 100 in a 4 year period along with 408 RBI by Pujols to 286 by Votto. A difference of 122 RBI.
they are relevant, not as important as it once was, but still very important.
Not important at all. Who was a better pitcher in 2015: Shelby Miller or Colby Lewis? If you say Lewis, you’re an idiot. If you say Miller, you just admitted that I am right.
Boras is a cancer to the current setup. Serious salary cap installed. Only 1 year contracts. Screw the players union. Another cancer.
I agree Boras is a cancer and yes a hard salary cap is needed desperately. I have no problem with multi-year contracts but end the guaranteed contracts with no escape clauses. That is killing the sport and rewarding slackers who sign big deals and then don’t produce towards the end of their deals. I don’t care what the Union says, you are punishing younger players and producers over guys who no longer are earning their salaries. MLB should take a long hard look at how the NFL structures their contracts.
When Nova was 16-4 on in the pressure cooker of New York and Hellickson was 13-10 for Tampa, who won Rookie of the year? Unbelievably, Hellickson.