DENVER -- The fact that Mitch Keller remains a Pirate following Thursday’s Trade Deadline is a relief for him. Having to hear your name thrown around the rumor mill comes with plenty of stress and uncertainty, especially for a proven Major League starter generating lots of interest among competitive teams.
Regardless of whether or not trade discussions surrounding Keller ramp up in the future, he’s at least staying in the black and gold for now, and he can continue to focus on trying to pitch like he did through the first five innings on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field in the Pirates’ 9-5 win over the Rockies.
Keller had allowed just one run on four hits through five and was carrying a sizable lead into the sixth thanks to a five-run Pirates outburst in the first two innings and a three-run sixth. But much like the first two games of the series, Colorado’s bats started to come alive after a sluggish start to the afternoon. The result was a leadoff walk and three consecutive homers off Keller that ended his outing.
“He ran into some trouble in the sixth, and it looked like the sweeper wasn’t as sharp,” Pirates interim manager Don Kelly said. “Really good through five, and especially here, it’s so tough to pitch here.
“... He’s been great, like we’ve said before, he’s pitched way better than his record has shown. He’s been really consistent for us all year long, and he showed it again today.”
Pittsburgh’s offensive barrage, led by Spencer Horwitz, who homered twice and drove in a career-best six runs as part of a three-hit day, along with a shutdown effort from the bullpen, proved to be enough cushion for the Bucs to avoid the sweep after blowing early leads in the first two games of the series.
Despite dropping the weekend set, the Pirates return home having won nine of their past 12 games after securing their first winning road trip of at least six games since July of last season.
“We’ve been playing good ball on this road trip,” Horwitz said. “To finish it on a win is definitely rewarding. So we’re going to keep it rolling at home.”
With the Pirates entering the Deadline as clear sellers, Keller appeared to be a prime target for multiple clubs looking to add starting pitching, with the Red Sox, Mets and Yankees among the list of suitors reportedly interested in his services. But as the Deadline drew nearer, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington seemed less inclined to move on from the 29-year-old right-hander.
The five-year, $77 million extension Keller inked ahead of last season is evidence of his perceived importance to the Pirates amid their lengthy rebuild. Cherington himself seemed to value Keller’s presence as a leader and proven performer on a young, inexperienced roster.
That investment has largely been rewarded in the second year of Keller's contract, as he's posted a 3.89 ERA across 23 starts. Keller is on pace to eclipse 180 innings for the second time in three years (he narrowly missed the mark in 2024 with 178 IP), a sign of just how durable he’s been for a Pirates rotation that has been the club’s primary strength this season.
And despite boasting a career-low strikeout rate (18.8% entering Sunday), Keller has kept his walks down this season (6.2% walk rate), which has allowed him to consistently pitch deep into games. It’s equated to solid results for Keller over his past 10 starts, with a 3.56 ERA over 55 2/3 innings dating back to June 10.
“I think this will be a good rebound start off my last one,” Keller said of his performance on Sunday. “I felt really good today. Stuff felt good. Velo was a little down, but overall I was executing where I wanted to, throwing pitches where I wanted to. Overall, I was happy about it.”
Even if those recent strides weren’t evident on Sunday, Keller’s relief that the Deadline is behind him certainly was.
“The day-to-day stuff, good to have that over with,” Keller said. “Today’s start was no different than any of the other ones, the way I go about it. Definitely good to have it over with, glad to be here and excited for what’s to come.”