With their rotation depth decimated by injuries, the Milwaukee Brewers have acquired former AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel from the Seattle Mariners, the team announced Tuesday. It is a cash trade. Keuchel, 36, was on a minor-league contract with Seattle. It’s unclear whether the Brewers will immediately promote him to their major-league roster, or stash him in Triple-A.
The Brewers lost top pitching prospect Robert Gasser to season-ending elbow surgery earlier this month. Milwaukee now has five big-league starting pitchers on the injured list. Here is their rotation depth chart:
- RHP Freddy Peralta
RHP Brandon Woodruff(out for season with shoulder surgery)LHP Wade Miley(out for season with Tommy John surgery)- RHP Colin Rea
LHP DL Hall(out with knee injury)RHP Joe Ross(out with back strain)- RHP Bryse Wilson
LHP Robert Gasser(out for season with elbow surgery)- RHP Tobias Myers
- RHP Carlos Rodriguez
Despite all the pitching injuries — the Brewers have also been without closer Devin Williams all year because of a back injury — Milwaukee sits atop the NL Central at 46-33. They are allowing 4.00 runs per game, eighth fewest in baseball, though the bullpen is really carrying the load. Their starters have a 4.20 ERA and the bullpen has a 3.29 ERA.
Keuchel has a 3.93 ERA in 13 Triple-A starts this season. That’s in the offense-crazy Pacific Coast League, where the league average is a 5.42 ERA. Keuchel had a 5.97 ERA in 37 2/3 innings spread across six starts and four relief appearances with the Minnesota Twins last season.
In parts of 12 MLB seasons, Keuchel owns a 103-92 record and a 4.02 ERA. He won the 2015 AL Cy Young award after going 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA for the Houston Astros.
