MLB Rumors: Keuchel Turns Down Astros Offers, Can Dodgers Sign Kimbrel?

Dallas Keuchel continues to remain on the free agency market despite teams showing interest in the pitcher since the start of the offseason. The free agent’s demands of a six or seven-year deal have not been met thus far with teams reluctant to offer Keuchel a long-term deal.

There were constant excitement and anticipation about MLB free agency until Bryce Harper and Manny Machado were on the market. But after they signed multi-year record-setting deals with Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres respectively, it has gone quiet in recent weeks with teams taking their time in making concrete offers.

The Houston Astros did make a qualifying offer for Keuchel at the start of the offseason but are yet to re-sign their former player. The Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins were also considering moves for the pitcher, but are since said to have pulled out of the race.

According to John Heyman, the Phillies are still interested in the pitcher but are unlikely to meet the player’s demands for a long-term deal especially after they committed $330 million over 13 years to Harper. They are said to be seeking a short-term deal for the player, also managed by Harper’s agent Scott Boras.

The Astros are not giving up on their former player and are said to have engaged in talks in recent days. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal claimed they made Keuchel one-year and two-year offers but it was rejected by the two-time MLB All-Star.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand believes Keuchel is still seeking a multi-year deal, which is not forthcoming at the moment with all teams holding back on offering long-term deals. But the Astros made no secret that they would like to re-sign him with general manager Jeff Luhnow admitting they would like to keep “them in the family”, talking about Keuchel and Marwin Gonzales, who signed with the Twins.

"We've had interest in both of the players and they know it," Luhnow said in January, according to Alyson Footer of MLB.com. "Obviously they both were critical parts of our success last six years. We'd love to keep them in the family."

Craig Kimbrel, meanwhile, is probably the biggest free agent on the market at the moment but is finding it difficult to land a team. The seven-time All-Star has received interest from the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves but it is unclear if there is a concrete offer on the table at the moment.

New York Post’s Joel Sherman believes the Los Angeles Dodgers, who made a late move for Harper with a short-term deal offering high annual average salary, should do the same for Keuchel. He claims they should test the market with a potential 1-year $25 million offer.

The player’s agent and Dodgers president Andrew Friedman refused to comment on the potential of Keuchel moving to Los Angeles. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, however, gave a positive assessment of the pitcher and believes Kimbrel will make any team considerably better.

“I can’t go too much into that,” Roberts said. “I had Craig as a player in San Diego [in 2015, when Roberts was bench coach]. What he brings to any club is plus-plus on the field and in the clubhouse. Where we are at right now, we are set, but Craig Kimbrel makes any team considerably better.”