Pirates Likely Keeping Starting Pitcher Past Trade Deadline

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher that teams have looked as a top trade candidate is reportedly trending towards staying with the team past the deadline.

Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said on 93.7 The Fan that the Pirates may keep right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Keller past the MLB trade deadline on July 31.

Hiles said that the Pirates won't just let Keller go for prospects and that they want MLB-ready bats that will contribute right away. They don't know if they'll get that from a team fighting for a playoff spot and that they think they can wait until the offseason and get that contribution heading into 2026.

"They want to move Mitch Keller for someone they know can be an every day starter for them," Hiles said. "Someone who has established success. I don't think want Mitch Keller for just a top 100 prospect. Maybe if they get multiple top 100 prospects, that could sway them. I don't know for sure, but I think the goal for Mitch is to move him for a hitter equivalent of who Mitch Keller is as a pitcher and teams aren't giving that up mid-season."

"So I think their stance is, 'Let's hang on to him. Let's try to move him in the offseason,' where teams are far more likely to move that type of asset because they can reconstruct that lineup through free agents or other trades compared to now where their options are limited."

Keller has had a strong season in 2025, despite a 4-10 record in 22 starts, as he has 15 quality starts, tied for the second-most in the MLB. A quality start is when a starting pitcher throws six innings and allows three runs or fewer.

He has a 3.69 ERA over 127.0 innings pitched, 100 strikeouts to 33 walks, a .243 opposing batting average, a 1.20 WHIP and his innings pitched rank tied for 13th most in the MLB.

Keller signed a five-year, $77 million contract on Feb. 22, 2024 and currently makes $15,411,500 in 2025, the most a Pirates player is earning this season on their payroll. He is only one of two players making more than $10 million this season, along with outfielder Bryan Reynolds at $12,250,000.

His salary increases $1.5 million each year over the next two seasons, to $16,911,000 in 2026 and then $18,411,000 in 2027, then an increase of $2 million in 2028 to $20,411,000.

Keller has received trade interest from many teams, including the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox.