The New York Mets suddenly find themselves in first place, but there’s a lot of battle left to be fought.
On Wednesday, the Mets jumped over the Philadelphia Phillies to take the lead in the National League East by half a game. Both teams are going to be after major pitching reinforcements at the deadline, but unlike their rivals, the Mets might need a starter.
In a perfect world, the Mets might even go after a starting pitcher who is under team control for a few seasons, because they’ve seen this year that their rotation depth chart can thin out quickly with one or two injuries at the wrong time.
Enter Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller, who is likely to be on the move because of his contract. His five-year, $77 million deal extends through 2028, and it’s backloaded, so the Pirates will want to get out of their prior commitments.
On Thursday, Sports Illustrated’s Will Laws and Nick Selbe predicted that the Mets would bring Keller to Queens by next Thursday’s deadline.
“Like his teammate Paul Skenes, Keller too has a lopsided win-loss record despite quality work this season thanks to the Pirates’ woeful offense,” wrote Laws and Selbe.
Follow The Sporting News On WhatsApp
“Keller doesn’t blow hitters away like Skenes, but his six-pitch mix and pinpoint command make him effective. The 29-year-old has made 112 starts since 2022—ninth-most during that span—and is under contract through 2028, so Pittsburgh ought to get some serious interest from the many pitching-needy teams looking to buy.
Keller not only takes the ball every fifth day, but he’s done a solid job keeping offenses at bay this year. In 125 innings, the eighth-most of anyone in baseball, he owns a 3.53 ERA and 1.16 WHIP.
The Mets’ advantage is that they can swallow the rest of Keller’s contract without having to worry about it limiting their future spending potential. It’s the perfect opportunity to use their deep pockets to grab a player they need without giving up massive prospect capital.
More MLB: Yankees predicted to land two Diamondbacks stars in ‘biggest blockbuster’ of 2025
