Former KC Royals starter turns to NL for career jumpstart

Brad Keller signs deal with his fourth big league club.

Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

While the recent acquisition of reliever Carlos Estévez captured the attention of Kansas City Royals fans yearning for a big move of any kind, a former Royal quietly embarked on a new path he hopes will lead to the good career he seemed well on the way to achieving in Kansas City but never did.

Brad Keller, an American Leaguer since his 2018 major league debut, is heading for the National League. On January 31, the right-handed starter signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs, and an invitation to the club's major league spring training camp accompanied the deal. Catching on with the Cubs marks Keller's second Windy City shot at a career revival — he pitched briefly for the White Sox last season. Whether he'll now find the success on the North Side that eluded him on the South Side remains to be seen.

Unfortunately, though, it seems a bit of a long shot. Still, if Keller recaptures the form he displayed in his early Kansas City seasons, the Cubs will prove to have invested wisely.

Brad Keller was a key piece of the KC Royals starting rotation

Keller last pitched for Kansas City late in the 2023 season. Tasked on September 17 with keeping the Houston Astros within striking distance to begin the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium, Keller allowed three runs (one unearned) on two hits, a pair of walks, and a run-scoring groundout before inducing a double play that mercifully ended what could have been an even worse outcome. But the damage was done — the 4-1 deficit he inherited ballooned to 7-1, and the Royals were done.

Keller's depressing Kansas City finale wasn't that surprising. It was only his second big league appearance since May 15, when he walked eight in a disturbing start against the San Diego Padres that lasted only 3.2 innings. He soon found himself on the Injured List with a shoulder issue and didn't pitch well during subsequent minor league rehabilitation assignments. 2023 was his third straight disappointing season, too — he finished 3-4 with a 4.57 ERA after going 8-12 with a 5.39 ERA in 2021 and 6-14 with a 5.09 ERA in 2022.

But it wasn't always that way for Keller. As a rookie in 2018, he went 9-6, 3.08 and tied Danny Duffy for the club lead in wins. He slumped to 7-14 in his second season but still led Royal starters with a 4.19 ERA, then paced the rotation with a stellar 5-3, 2.47 ERA record in the truncated 2020 campaign.

Three times he posted the best ERA among Kansas City pitchers who started regularly, and he led or tied them for the most pitching victories the same number of seasons. On top of that, the Kansas City chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America twice named him the team's Bruce Rice Pitcher of the Year. Keller's early success naturally triggered speculation about a long-term deal, but his subsequent struggles quieted such chatter. He became a free agent when the 2023 campaign ended.

The 2024 season wasn't good for former KC starter Brad Keller

The low-risk chance the White Sox took on Keller last year just didn't work out. He surrendered 10 runs in 16.2 innings and went 0-2 in five games before opting for free agency when the Sox outrighted him in late August. He signed with the Boston Red Sox and went 0-2 with a 5.84 ERA in 11 down-the-stretch appearances, then headed for free agency again.

Keller turns now to a new league and fresh start as his quest for career resurgence continues.

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