Former KC Royals pitcher continues career with surprising new team

It wasn’t too long ago that pitcher Brad Keller seemed like a savior in the Kansas City Royals' rotation. The former Rule 5 draft pick had a stellar debut season with the AL Central club, but like many before him, he struggled to sustain that success over the years. Now, Keller is reportedly taking his talents abroad for the 2025 season.

According to Yakyu Cosmopolitan, Keller is joining Nippon Professional Baseball’s Chiba Lotte Marines. Specific terms of the deal remain unknown, but this move offers Keller a chance to revitalize his career after a challenging 2024 season.

The KC Royals did not miss Brad Keller in 2024

Keller split last season between the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox, posting a career-worst 5.44 ERA over just 41 1/3 innings. Despite both teams needing pitching depth, Keller struggled to make a positive impact.

Keller spent six seasons with the Royals, highlighted by a breakout rookie season in 2018. His 4.2 bWAR performance across 41 games (20 starts) ranked 10th among all AL pitchers, providing a rare bright spot in a rough season for Kansas City. He followed up with another strong showing in 2020, recording a 2.47 ERA across nine starts and once again standing out as one of the league’s most valuable pitchers.

Unfortunately, Keller’s Royals tenure took a downturn after that, and in the three seasons following 2020, he compiled a 17-30 record with a 5.14 ERA. His time with Kansas City ended unceremoniously due to right shoulder impingement syndrome, limiting him to just 11 games in 2023. The Royals decided to move in a different direction and that decision definitely has not come back to haunt the club.

His new team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, has generated MLB buzz this offseason — not for titles or player signings, but for their decision to post 23-year-old pitching phenom Roki Sasaki (the undisputed prize of this international free-agent period), despite MLB restrictions on his earnings.

The Marines needed a new starter, and hopefully, Keller can regain his confidence abroad. At only 29 years old, he still has time to reestablish himself on the mound and make a triumphant return to MLB. However, that will depend heavily on his tenure with the Marines.