After a career year, could this Chicago Cubs free agent land in the green and gold?
In their pursuit of pitching, the A’s will more than likely have to get creative to lure free agents to Sacramento. Adding to their pitching staff via the trade market is the route of least resistance, while not having to convince a player to sign with the club would be ideal.
However, given the prices teams are fetching for pitchers right now, the A’s might have difficulty finding a trade partner at a prospect price they’re comfortable with.
Mark Leiter Jr., who has had his fair share of struggles, signed with the A’s last week. He fits the “diamond in the rough” mold that the A’s seem to have success with. His underlying metrics show positive signs, and he throws one of the more coveted pitches in baseball right now, the splitter.
Pitchers similar to Leiter may be who the A’s have to target, unless they are willing to open the checkbook and pay for the services of a more well-known name. Or, the A’s could look to offer new opportunities that other clubs are not to convince a pitcher to sign with them.
Cubs breakout pitcher could be a fit for A’s
Insert Brad Keller, who broke out with the Cubs last season in a high-leverage bullpen role. Keller is a former starter converted to reliever. He was a starter with the Royals for six seasons, finding success as a fourth or fifth guy in the rotation, relying on producing ground balls.
Last season with the Cubs, Keller posted a 2.07 ERA in 69 2/3 innings, with 75 strikeouts. He was in the 95th percentile for ground ball rate (56.6%), 99th percentile for hard hit percentage (30.6%), and 86th percentile for barrel percentage (5.8%). All metrics that make him the ideal pitcher for the A’s, who play their home games in a very hitter-friendly park.
Keller’s metrics continue to impress outside of those three. According to Baseball Savant, his expected batting average, expected ERA, and average exit velocity all rate in the 90th percentile range. He has many other metrics in the high percentiles as well, solidifying him as one of the better bullpen arms last season.
Evan Petzold reported more than a week ago that the Detroit Tigers were “among the teams that have expressed interest in free agent righty Brad Keller as a starting pitcher.” MLB Trade Rumors went on to predict a three-year, $36 million contract for Keller this offseason.
A contract that would make him a well-paid reliever, but an underpaid starter. Which seems fair considering the unknowns that come with converting Keller back to a starter. ESPN’s Jeff Passan backed their report, saying that Keller “indeed seems on track to pull a three-year deal.”
The A’s are trying to add another experienced pitcher to their rotation of Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, Jacob Lopez, and Luis Morales. They have plenty of young arms who will be competing for that spot with Morales, like Jack Perkins, J.T. Ginn, and Gunnar Hoglund. Not to mention, the highly touted arms in the farm system that have yet to debut.
Adding a pitcher with a profile like Keller would provide the A’s with flexibility. If Keller is successful in his conversion back to a starter, then that is great for the A’s. If he is unsuccessful, then Keller moves back to the bullpen in a high-leverage role, where he just posted career numbers, and opens a spot for young arms in the rotation. That flexibility could come in handy.
