First it was Craig Kimbrel who found a team after the draft, and now it’s Dallas Keuchel.
Keuchel and the Atlanta Braves have agreed to a contract, as first reported by The Athletic’s David O’Brien.
Keuchel remained a free agent throughout the offseason and first two months of the MLB season. Once the season began and he continued to be unsigned, teams thought it would be most prudent to wait until after the draft before signing him so they wouldn’t lose a draft pick as the penalty for signing a player who turned down a qualifying offer from his previous team.
In Atlanta, Keuchel joins a team that entered play on Thursday 33-29, good for second in the NL East, two games behind the Phillies. The Braves went 90-72 last year to make the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and are looking to make it again this year.
They get a southpaw pitcher who went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA in 204.2 innings last season. When he is ready, Keuchel will join a rotation that includes Mike Foltynewicz, Julio Teheran, Max Fried and Mike Soroka. The status of Kevin Gausman is something to watch as he’s been lit up this year and has a 6.15 ERA.
It’s unclear how much time Keuchel will need to be ready to join the Braves, but a stint in the minors to get ready should be expected.
