Brewers Could Land Pirates' Starting Pitcher This Winter To Bolster 2026 Rotation

"The Pirates opted to hold onto (Mitch) Keller at the trade deadline, along with several other more obvious trade candidates, but expect him to be shopped more aggressively this winter," Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter wrote Wednesday. "The five-year, $77 million extension he signed prior to the 2024 season is set to pay him $16.9 million in 2026, $18.4 million in 2027 and $20.4 million in 2028. That's not unreasonable relative to his market value, but it's likely more than the tight-fisted Pirates want on the books."

For the Brewers, he's a young starter at just 29 years old with a manageable price tag and a few years of control -- and as a bonus, he would be swooped up from a division rival.

Keller has a 3.89 ERA with a 104-to-34 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .247 batting average against and a 1.22 WHIP in 132 innings pitched across 23 games this season.

The 29-year-old would take up a decent amount of Milwaukee's yearly payroll, but that isn't to say that a few trades to dump salary would be off the table to make room for Keller -- not to mention contracts like first baseman Rhys Hoskins' $18 million salary likely coming off the books after the 2024 season.

Milwaukee's rotation already sizes up to be elite next season, with Jacob Misiorowski, Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick, Tobias Myers and the unknown of Jordan Montgomery in the mix. Adding Keller would bolster group with a lengthy injury history even further. Keller has made 29+ starts in the past three seasons and is pacing to do the same in 2025.

Reuter continues to say that "At his best, Keller is an All-Star starter capable of serving as a No. 2 starter on a contending team, but he remains a bit inconsistent to be counted on to fill that role."

The Brewers have a reputation for creating the best version of their players, so with Milwaukee's staff in place, Keller could shine at his brightest at American Family Field and help lead the club to a World Series Title.