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MLB Rumors: Dallas Keuchel opts out of Twins minor league contract

According to Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic, former Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel has opted out of his contract with the Minnesota Twins. The 35-year-old has been stationed in Triple-A St. Paul and Minnesota now has a couple days to decide whether or not to bring him to the majors, per MLB Trade Rumors.

Keuchel has been dealing in the minors, posting a highly impressive 1.13 ERA and 1.250 WHIP with as many strikeouts as hits in 32 innings pitched. One has to imagine teams around the league are closely monitoring Keuchel’s availability given the demand for starting pitching prior to the trade deadline.

Minnesota currently sits 2.0 games above Cleveland for first place in the AL Central. With the Twins looking to carve out a spot in the playoffs, it could behoove them to keep a veteran arm with Keuchel’s pedigree in the organization. Both Tyler Mahle and Chris Paddack remain on the 60-day IL, so there’s room for Keuchel to contribute in a meaningful way.

Keuchel spent the first seven years of his career with the Astros, winning Cy Young in 2015 and the World Series in 2017. He has bounced around the league since then, never quite reaching the same heights outside a strong 2020 campaign with the White Sox. Still, pitchers with Keuchel’s résumé don’t pop up on the midseason free agent market very often. Once has to imagine he’d find a new team quickly if the Twins let him go.