Dallas Keuchel, once one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball, found himself out of a job last week when the Chicago White Sox designated him for assignment. Now, he’s found a new team and a new deal.
The 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner is heading to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a minor league deal, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
The 34-year-old posted a 7.88 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 32 innings this season before he was DFA’d. But it’s still not that long since he was considered a solid starter. In 2020, he held a 1.99 ERA in 63 1/3 innings in the shortened MLB season, finishing fifth in AL Cy Young voting. He also went 9-9 for the White Sox in 2021.
The deal reunites Keuchel with current D-backs pitching coach Brent Strom, both of whom worked together in Houston. Specifically, Strom was his pitching coach when he won the Cy Young, so there’s a hope that they can find that old magic once more.
According to Rosenthal, the deal includes an opt-out if Keuchel is not promoted to the Major Leagues by a certain date.