Minnesota Twins: Looks like it is time to pay for Dallas Keuchel
By Nate Palmer
The Minnesota Twins made one significant addition with Nelson Cruz and it may be time to add another in starter Dallas Keuchel.
The Minnesota Twins recently opened up the checkbook to sign veteran slugger and now Twins DH Nelson Cruz. Cruz’s addition to the lineup makes it look like the Twins are likely done adding position players in advance of the 2019 season. The question can be asked that after committing over $14 million dollars to Cruz if it is time to open the checkbook again for a top of the line pitcher.
With Patrick Corbin already agreeing with the Washington Nationals, that leaves Dallas Keuchel as the top starting pitcher left on the market. Keuchel is reportedly asking for a 5 year deal which can be somewhat scary for a pitcher who is ready to turn 31-years-old in a matter of days. Should the Twins be the team to make the plunge and offer Keuchel a deal in the 5 year, $100 million range?
Keuchel certainly doesn’t fit the billing of the flame-throwing starting pitcher that teams often employ as their top starter. He has still been plenty successful with a career 3.66 ERA and several seasons of logging over 200 innings pitched.
Keuchel gets things done not with strikeouts but instead forcing a large amount of groundballs with a 53.7% groundball rate in what was a down year in 2018. Just the year previous Keuchel turned in a 66.8% groundball rate. Is that all good enough for the big payday that the left-hander is looking for?
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It probably depends on where your team is in their competitive life cycle. With the AL Central clearly up for grabs it is absolutely time for the Twins to go for it. The Twins front office believes 4 out of their 5 rotation spots are decided. I feel more confident saying 3 out of the 5 just because we really don’t know what Michael Pineda will provide in his first year returning from injury.
It feels like it is time. Time to go and make some bold signings. Add Keuchel so that he now joins Jose Berrios and Kyle Gibson as a good top three in the rotation. The state of the rotation feels much more promising as fans would then be set to watch guys like Jake Odorizzi, Pineda, Fernando Romero, Stephen Gonsalves, and Adalberto Mejia battle it out for the two remaining spots.
Next. The Jonathan Schoop signing is already paying off. dark
Now if the Twins were to somehow sign Keuchel they would be served well to spend at least one more time on a quality relief pitcher. My one hesitation with this plan of action is if there is a plan to spend big next offseason. Problem is outside of Gerrit Cole and Chris Sale the starting pitching market may not be too exciting in the 2019-2020 offseason. And by then the window may have already closed and the road through the AL Central a bit tougher.