By: Nathaniel Ascher
Two of the best 2019 free agents are still on the market as we approach June. Although Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel aren’t CY Young candidates, they are both extremely valuable players and should be on MLB rosters by now. However, due to the MLB draft from June 3rd-5th and everything that comes with it, teams have been reluctant to sign Kimbrel and Keuchel before then. Here is a breakdown of why Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel haven’t been signed yet and which AL East teams need these two players the most:
At the end of 2018, the Red Sox and Astros, the previous owners of Kimbrel and Keuchel, respectively, offered their players qualifying offers. These offers, worth $17.9 million for one year, were rejected by both players, resulting in them becoming free agents. Since the players were given this contract before reaching free agency, any team who wanted to sign them would have to give up an MLB draft pick near the end of the fourth round. These picks, usually worth anywhere between $500,000 and $1,000,000 million, can produce young, controllable talent for years to come. Because of this, teams are going to pounce on Kimbrel and Keuchel once the draft passes. This will allow them to get the star player without losing the pick.
As the calendar flips to June, things are starting to heat up in the AL East. The Yankees are barely in 1st over the Rays, while both teams have a comfortable lead over the hot Red Sox. The Orioles and Blue Jays have been terrible so far, but there is still plenty of games left in the season for the standings to change. The addition of Kimbrel and/or Keuchel to any of the three contenders in the AL East could have a great effect on the outcome of this division in 2019. Besides the Blue Jays and Orioles, who are not at all expected to pursue Kimbrel and/or Keuchel, here’s who needs these two playmakers the most:
The Yankees need to sign Dallas Keuchel for 1yr/$18 million
Even though many of their key players have been on the IL for most of the season, the Yankees find themselves ahead of the pack. Unlike the Rays, who so far have the best starter ERA in baseball, and the Red Sox, who have a plethora of starting pitching options, the Yankees still have room to improve their starting rotation. Ace Luis Severino will be out until at least the end of June, and who knows how he’ll return from his torn labrum injury. James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka have been good so far in 2019, but they are both very capable of landing on the IL. Newcomer Domingo German has looked promising, despite his recent outing. However, German has never pitched more than 126 innings in a season in his career, so look for him to fatigue throughout the rest of this year. Dallas Keuchel, on the other hand, is a trustworthy southpaw who can get the job done. A two time all star, Keuchel won the AL Cy Young back in 2015, and posted a sub 3.75 ERA with a sub 3.0 BB/9 ratio in the past two seasons. Furthermore, Keuchel is a ground ball pitcher, as his career ground ball% is 35 points higher than his career fly ball%. The Yankees undoubtedly have a very solid rotation, but Dallas Keuchel would be the cherry on top and the final piece to the Yankees’ pitching staff.
The Boston Red Sox need Craig Kimbrel back for 1yr/$10 million
The Boston Red Sox have one of the worst bullpens in the American League. Although they have the 12th best bullpen ERA and 3rd best in the AL East, they lack high-quality relievers. So far, they have been getting solid innings out of journeymen Brandon Workman, Marcus Walden, and gatorade-man Heath Hembree, all of whom have under 3.00 ERA’s. Even if this trend continues, the Red Sox bullpen will still be significantly worse than the Yankees’ and the Rays’. But, if they sign Craig Kimbrel, their bullpen will significantly improve. Kimbrel, at age 31, is one of the elite relievers in the game. Over nine MLB seasons, Kimbrel has a career ERA of 1.91, a WHIP of 0.920, and a K/9 of 14.7. All of these stats are extremely impressive, and illustrate the fact that Kimbrel is one of the best relievers of this decade. The Red Sox need to capitalize on this current free agency situation and sign their former closer Craig Kimbrel.
The Yankees and Red Sox need to sign Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel to give them the edge this year. Doing so would put them ahead of the Rays, who have led the AL East for most of the 2019 season. If general managers Brian Cashman and Dave Dombrowski make their respective signings, The Rivalry will be back under the bright lights of baseball.
The AL East teams should be under the spotlight of the 2019 MLB draft.
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