MLB insider Robert Murray is reporting that former Angels reliever Kyle Keller is drawing interest from six major league teams this offseason. He spent the past two years pitching in Japan and he is also getting some interest from NPB teams.
Keller appeared in two games for the Angels during the 2020 season. He only threw 2.1 innings of work and posted a poor ERA of 7.71 in that limited sample size.
He was originally an 18th-round pick by the Miami Marlins in 2015 and he worked his way up through the minor leagues. In addition to his time with the Halos, he appeared in 10 games with the Marlins in 2019, posting an ERA of 3.38. He also spent 32 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021, putting up another poor ERA of 6.48.
Control issues were his main problem while in the big leagues, posing a 15 percent walk rate. However, he was solid during his time in the NPB, posting an ERA of 2.72 in 49.2 innings of work in 2022. In 2023, he put up an ERA of 1.71 over 26.1 innings.
Teams likely see the potential from him and it only takes one club to roll the dice. It could be a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Former Angels reliever Matt Moore is one example of someone who went overseas to pitch, only to return back to the big leagues and pitch well, so maybe Keller can do the same.
It remains to be seen what he does this winter, but there is interest coming from multiple teams for him. He is still only 30 years old, so there is time for him to work on his game to possibly make an impact on a big-league club.
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