The White Sox announced that veteran left-hander Dallas Keuchel has been named for the assignment. Inner Danny Mendick was called up from the Triple-A in the corresponding move.
The play, however, ends with Keuchel’s stay on the South Side after 51 games and 257 1/3 innings since the start of the 2020 season. this move would put this new team hooked on the approximately $ 14.1 million that is still owed to Keuchel for the rest of the 2022 season. and a new team that signed Keuchel could only owe MLB’s prorated minimum wage on the left.
Keuchel signed a three-year, $ 55.5 million free agent contract with Chicago during the 2019-20 low season, one of several notable moves made that winter to indicate that the Sox now aim to win after a phase of reconstruction. The initial performance of the signing was excellent, as Keuchel recorded an effectiveness of 1.99 in 63 1/3 innings during the shortened 2020 season and finished fifth in the AL Cy Young Award voting.
However, only a few bursts of this good form continued in 2021, as Keuchel finished with a 5.28 ERA in 162 entries largely inconsistent with Chicago last year. The decline continued during Keuchel’s first eight starts in 2022, as it has an effectiveness of 7.88 and as many passes (20) as strikes in 32 innings.
He was never a great puncher, even during his early years with the Astros, there were many questions about how Keuchel’s approach would be kept low-speed and ground-based as he got older. Between these concerns and a qualifying offer, Keuchel’s previous free agent offer in the 2018-19 low season meant the left-hander had to wait until June (after the draft) to sign a contract with a year prorated with the Braves. Keuchel pitched well enough during his 112 2/3 innings with Atlanta and then earned a long-term commitment from the Sox that low season, with Keuchel also no longer eligible for QO.
The batters have a .364 BABIP against Keuchel this year, so there’s a bit of misfortune in their recent results. However, batsmen are also making serious contact (according to Keuchel’s barrels and barrel speed metrics) against the offers on the left, and their sudden lack of control doesn’t help their career prevention efforts either. Keuchel’s 50.8% drop rate is also the lowest of his career, although he is still a mark above the league-wide average.
Even with these struggles, it is reasonable that Keuchel’s trajectory is worth the attention of one of the many teams seeking help for the rotation. A strong defensive team would be especially suitable for a ground pitcher like Keuchel: speculatively, a Cardinals team that has lost Steven Matz, Jordan Hicks and Jack Flaherty to the injured list could be interested in Keuchel’s services.
The White Sox have been no strangers to pitching injuries this season, and their rotating image was not helped by Keuchel’s lack of success, although he remained healthy. With Keuchel now in the limelight of the DFA, the Sox have Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech and veteran Johnny Cueto on the rotation, and Lance Lynn is beginning rehabilitation work on his recovery from knee surgery. Vince Velasquez could keep starting until Lynn is ready, but with the rest days on May 30, June 6 and June 16, the Sox will have some flexibility to find out their next pitcher list.
Overall, it certainly looks like the initial release will be a target area for Chicago ahead of the trade deadline. Giolito, Kopech and Cease have been very good, Cueto has not yet allowed a career of more than 12 job entries, and the White Sox are certainly hoping that Lynn can return to her usual form once she has finished her rehab job. However, depth is still a concern, as Kopech’s tickets will be managed and the Sox may not know what to really expect from Cueto over a full season.
In addition to Keuchel’s performance in 2020, the signing has yet to be considered a mistake for GM Rick Hahn’s reception. Keuchel was owed $ 18 million in salary this season, as well as a $ 1.5 million purchase of a $ 20 million club option for the 2023 season. he threw at least 160 innings this season, but that threshold no longer seems like a possibility, even if it never seemed especially likely that the White Sox would let that option be.