Remember that Bruce Springsteen song 'Glory Days'? Dallas Keuchel can no longer throw that speedball by ya, and he sure as hell isn't making anyone look like a fool. Keuchel is attempting to make yet another MLB roster, this time with a team that could win up in the AL Wild Card race when all is said and done. Keuchel, who won a Cy Young with the Houston Astros back in 2015, has signed a minor-league contract with the Kansas City Royals, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Per Passan, "Keuchel, 37, held a workout last week and was up to 92 mph. He’ll start at AAA and if he gets to the big leagues would make $2 million prorated." That extra $2 million can make a big difference for an MLB player nearing retirement. Once his playing days are over, Keuchel will have a much tougher time bringing in large sums like that. However, Passan is overselling Keuchel just a bit in his social media post. A 92 MPH pitch is nothing to write home about.
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Dallas Keuchel's latest MLB comeback attempt could be his last
Ironically enough, the Royals pitching depth is fine on the surface. KC signed Rich Hill fairly recently, so unless their end goal is to put together the oldest pitching staff of all-time, adding Keuchel seems unnecessary. Of course, you can never have too much pitching depth in today's game, and the Royals know that all too well.
Led primarily by Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Kris Bubic, the Royals rotation has over-performed given an injury to Cole Ragans which has forced him to the 60-day injured list. If having Keuchel in the system makes the Royals feel more comfortable about their second-half prospects, then so be it.
Why Dallas Keuchel didn't return to the Astros
It's fair to wonder why Keuchel hasn't received another shot with the Houston Astros. I am not qualified to answer that question completely, but I can say that Houston's rotation is healthy for the first time in awhile. Adding a player with the reputation of Keuchel to their clubhouse would put some unneeded pressure on a group that, as of this writing, has a sound lead in the AL West and moved up to No. 2 in FanSided's MLB Power Rankings this week. Why change anything?