Their starting rotation ravaged by injuries and running low on internal depth, the Milwaukee Brewers looked outside the organization for help Tuesday, acquiring veteran left-hander Dallas Keuchel from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for cash considerations.
Keuchel, 36, comes to Milwaukee with an impressive resume. In 12 big-league seasons, he’s earned two All-Star Game appearances, won five Gold Gloves and an American League Cy Young Award while posting a 103-92 record and 4.02 ERA in 278 career games (263 starts).
His best season came in 2015 when he went 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA in 33 starts for Houston to earn the Cy Young while also finishing fifth in voting for the AL Most Valuable Player Award.
After three more seasons in Houston, Keuchel spent 2019 with the Braves before moving on to the White Sox, Diamondbacks and Texas from 2020-22.
Keuchel spent last season in Minnesota, going 2-1 with a 5.97 ERA in 10 appearances (six starts) and remained unsigned until April when he agreed to a minor-league deal with the Mariners.
He’s spent all season at Triple-A Tacoma, where he’s 7-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 13 starts and comes to the Brewers on a hot streak, having gone 4-0 with a 1.61 ERA over his last five starts.
The Brewers likely won’t wait long to put Keuchel to work. He could make his first start as early as Friday night against the Cubs in place of rookie Carlos Rodriguez, who went 0-3 with a 7.30 ERA in three starts before being demoted to Triple-A Nashville Tuesday.
“You don’t sign him to keep him in the minor leagues,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “We’re not looking for minor league depth.”
If he does, in fact, start Friday, Keuchel will become the 14th different pitcher to start a game for Milwaukee this season.
