Subscribe
Follow Us
It seems as though wherever Cy Young-winning pitcher Dallas Keuchel goes, it's on one condition. That is now the case involving the Kansas City Royals.
On Wednesday, the Royals officially signed Keuchel to a minor league contract, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.
The conditions of the deal is that Keuchel would start with Triple-A Omaha and with $2 million awaiting him if he makes it make to the big leagues. Keuchel, 37, recently took part in a workout and was clocked at 92 mph.
Keuchel has been in the league since 2012. He has pitched for Houston Astros, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, and Seattle Mariners.
Along the way, he's established an overall record of 103-92 with a 4.04 ERA. Additionally, Keuchel has 1,254 strikeouts.
In 2015, Kuechel won the Cy Young Award with the Astros. He finished the season with a record of 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA and a career high 216 strikeouts.
Kuechel's addition to the Royals comes at a time when the team's pitching is holding steady.
However, the Royals may look to trade starter Seth Lugo before the July 31 deadline.
So, where does Kuechel fit into all that?
Dallas Keuchel's depth and experience benefit the Royals
Given all he has achieved, Keuchel offers plenty to the Royals. Not just the Cy Young Award, but has a postseason pedigree.
He has a 4-3 postseason record with a 3.71 ERA as well as 56 strikeouts in 13 appearances. As of now, the Royals are trying to get back to five-hundred with a 45-48 record. Currently, they are second in the American League Central and are 14 games behind the first place Detroit Tigers.
The hope is for Keuchel to provide a boost to get the Royals back into contention. In terms of pitching, Keuchel is known for being a groundball pitcher, who frequently generates grounders at ball parks where that is common.
Not only that, he has good control and can limit walks and home runs. Plus, the Royals are taking a low risk approach by signing Keuchel to a minor league contract.
This is done with the intention to get him back to his Cy Young winning form.
