NL Central: Could the trade deadline open a rotation spot for Bubba Chandler?
Jul 26 2025
With the trade deadline looming, the Pirates are almost certainly sellers. Given the competitive nature of the starting pitching market, they could get a solid return for Mitch Keller. Keller has been serviceable this season, with a 3.53 ERA off a 3.42 FIP over 125 innings. He's on year two of a five-year $77 million deal, which is relatively affordable as guys who can throw close to 200 innings a season go these days. The Pirates could certainly opt to keep him on the roster if they don't get the deal they want, but with Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington knocking on the door of MLB, turning Keller into hitting prospects makes a lot of sense.
Bubba Chandler got a lot of buzz earlier this season as the next Paul...
Almost!
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