Atlanta Braves: 5 things Dallas Keuchel brings to the team

Now that the Atlanta Braves have made the big move in signing free agent starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel, what can we expect?

It came as a bit of a surprise — to me at least — that the Atlanta Braves won the bidding for Dallas Keuchel. Especially with the New York Yankees in the mix.

And on top of that, the Braves didn’t even have to give him a second year. A one-year deal for $13 million seems like a steal to me.

But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to consider the Atlanta Braves World Series contenders with Keuchel on board.

It’s not realistic to expect Keuchel to come in and look like the Cy Young winner that he’s been in the past. There is a reason that no team was willing to sign him this past offseason.

The 31-year-old lefty is certainly on the backend of his career, but there is plenty left in the tank for a guy who posted a 3.74 ERA last year in 204.2 innings.

So what can we expect from Dallas Keuchel in Atlanta?

5. A fierce competitor

One thing I’ve always loved about Keuchel is that he’s a competitor on the mound. Every time he takes the mound he’s going to give you everything he has, and more often than not it’s going to be a quality effort.

Twenty of his 34 starts last year were quality starts, and in 23 of those starts he went at least six innings.

The Atlanta Braves need a guy who is not just going to eat up innings, but give them quality innings. And that’s something Keuchel can certainly do.

4. A clubhouse leader

Something we heard from almost everyone after the deal was announced yesterday was how Keuchel will be a great clubhouse leader.

And that’s really important with this young pitching staff. Julio Teheran is a veteran and a great guy, but he doesn’t give you that ‘clubhouse leader’ vibe.

Keuchel will bring some energy to the entire team, but the starting rotation in particular.

3. A postseason pitcher

There is no guarantee the Atlanta Braves will make the postseason this year, but if they do, they now have a guy who can lead them in the postseason.

Last year we had some young guys get their feet wet in the postseason, but for the most part they were overwhelmed.

Keuchel has made nine starts in the postseason and pitched over 50 innings with 4 wins. That experience will come in handy if the Braves reach the postseason again, or need someone to turn to in a one-game Wild Card.

2. Familiarity

It will be interesting to see if Brian McCann becomes the primary catcher for Dallas Keuchel as the two have plenty of experience together from their days in Houston.

I would not be surprised if McCann had a lot to do with Keuchel picking the Atlanta Braves over other similar offers.

McCann seems like the better game manager behind the plate compared to Tyler Flowers, and I think it makes sense to have Mac catch Keuchel.

1. A good pitcher

Most importantly, Dallas Keuchel is a good pitcher. I’ve seen fans on Twitter try to rip him and this signing, but that’s not fair.

The front office went out and got a great pitcher at little cost –comparatively speaking — and for very little future risk.

If you’re expecting him to be the Cy Young winner that he was in 2015, then you need to change your expectations.

At this point in his career, Keuchel is likely a number two or three starter. If Max Fried and Mike Foltynewicz don’t improve soon, then I think Keuchel is our number two starter in a potential postseason series.

The guys from Knockahoma Nation pointed out the similarities between Keuchel and Teheran. And it wasn’t meant to be a diss, but rather to give Braves fans a sense of how good Julio has been.

Keuchel has just had moments where he’s been on the of best pitches in the game, where Julio has just been consistently a solid pitcher.

The Atlanta Braves still need to address the bullpen, but it’s hard for me to even consider the Keuchel signing to be a bad deal when you look at everything he brings to the table.