The Philadelphia Phillies have already had an enormous offseason, but signing Bryce Harper to a $330 million contract may not be the last big splash they make before Opening Day.
According to Jon Heyman of Fancred, the interest in free agent starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel increased the day Harper signed with Philly, which makes sense for teams that missed out on Harper and have more money to spend. However, you might be surprised to hear that the Phillies are still interested in signing the left-hander as well.
Astros understandably like their team but they’re said still in touch with Dallas Keuchel, who received 3 calls the day Harper got done. Phillies are also in and could solidify their favorite status by importing star lefty, tho with prospects coming they’re preferring short term.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 6, 2019
There were reports back in December that the Phillies wanted to sign Keuchel, but not with the five-year deal he had been seeking. It’s fair to assume the 31-year-old still hasn’t gotten any contract offers of that length, or he probably would have taken one by now.
Keuchel made 34 starts for the Astros last season and threw over 200 innings, but his strikeout numbers were down a bit to 6.7 per nine innings and his 1.31 WHIP was his highest in six years. His ERA also jumped from 2.90 in 2017 to 3.74 in 2018. Some teams may view that as a sign that he is losing effectiveness, but the thought of the former Cy Young Award winner joining an already loaded Phillies roster should be terrifying for the rest of the National League.
While the Phillies adding Keuchel might sound farfetched, there was a point where they were said to want Harper, Keuchel and another top free agent. They may not be done spending just yet.
