… And then there were two.
According to multiple reports this morning, free agent reliever (and 2025 Chicago Cubs standout) Brad Keller is signing a two-year, $22 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Robert Murray was first with the deal, and Jesse Rogers reports the terms.
Brad Keller to the Phillies
It’s a healthy deal for Brad Keller, who came to Chicago last winter on a minor league contract, but not one that reaches the top end of his realistic projections, which had him potentially earning $30M+ over three years as certain teams considered him as a starter.
And for that reason, this strikes me as more of a pure relief deal, though that’s just a guess. The Phillies could have made some promises we just don’t know about. I actually think we’ll find out soon enough.
© Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesOn the one hand, this is a big deal for the Chicago Cubs, who are officially “losing” Keller after his dominant (and surprising) single season in Chicago. They not only lose him off the team, but they also lose another quality late-inning relief option from the market. Even if they weren’t going to sign him, his presence provided some fallback leverage on the guys they could otherwise be targeting. But with or without the Cubs, this market is moving.
On the other hand, there weren’t actually a ton of rumors connecting Brad Keller to the Cubs, outside of stray mentions that they’d keep in touch as the offseason unfolded, which was always logical given their success together last season. Bottom line, it often felt like Keller was not returning, and now he’s not.
To be fair, the Cubs haven’t sat on their hands completely. Already this winter, they’ve signed Phil Maton and Hoby Milner, and re-signed Caleb Thielbar, spending far more on their bullpen than they typically do. But we’re still waiting for that perpetually promised/rumored “impact” free agent reliever, of which there are now really only two available: Luke Weaver (to whom they’ve basically never been connected) and Pete Fairbanks (to whom they’re connected quite a lot).
In fact, Patrick Mooney reiterated that connection last night at The Athletic:
The Cubs have been highly active in the bullpen market, according to league sources, making a pitch to Ryan Helsley before he signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles and checking on Emilio Pagán before he returned to the Cincinnati Reds on a two-year, $20 million deal.
The Cubs also came up short when Devin Williams accepted a three-year, $51 million offer from the New York Mets. Another name the Cubs have at least considered is Pete Fairbanks, the former closer for the Tampa Bay Rays.
But if the Cubs are going to move on Fairbanks, they may have to get going sooner rather than later. The free agent relief market has been – by far – the most active this winter, and that doesn’t figure to slow down now.
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