Atlanta Braves: Keuchel signs with White Sox, Cole Hamels deal looking better and better
By Seth Carter
Dallas Keuchel signs with the White Sox and the Atlanta Braves are likely glad they already have Cole Hamels.
Former Atlanta Braves starting pitcher, Dallas Keuchel has signed with the Chicago White Sox. The deal is worth three years and $55.5 million. Keuchel won the 2015 AL Cy Young Award and helped the Braves to a second straight division title in 2019.
Keuchel was paid $13 million for 19 starts with the Braves last season. He finished with a solid 3.75 ERA (including August 8th blowup against Marlins) and an 8-8 record. Keuchel led the MLB among starting pitchers inducing over a 60% groundball rate.
Keuchel routinely went deep into games for the Braves, averaging 5.9 innings per start and registered a quality start in 63% of his outings, good for tenth in the League.
Keuchel doesn’t posses the eye-popping strikeout numbers that seem to be sweeping the league, but he’s more than a solid innings-eater. The White Sox should be happy.
How are the Braves feeling right about now?
After bolstering the bullpen by signing Will Smith, Chris Martin, and Darren O’Day, the Braves turned their attention to Josh Donaldson and bolstering the starting rotation.
The Braves lost two veteran presences from last season’s rotation. Long-time Braves’ Opening Day starter Julio Teheran was sent to free agency and Keuchel’s one-year deal expired.
The Atlanta Braves were able to land former Phillies ace Cole Hamels on a one year, $18 million deal. Now that some time has passed and we’ve been able to get a look at the full landscape of this year’s free-agent market, the Cole Hamels signing is looking better and better.
There’s no worry of declining skills on a one-year deal. Prior to his injury last season, Hamels was one of the best pitchers in baseball. Through his first 19 starts, Hamels posted a 2.98 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. He rushed back from an oblique injury and struggled to regain his form.
The Braves certainly have to be excited with the addition, but when you begin to compare his one-year deal to the rest of the market. It looks like a pretty shrewd move.
Keuchel is now locked in for three years with an AAV of $18.5 million.
Kevin Gausman somehow received $9 million for 2020. His agent must have argued that since he’s half the pitcher Cole Hamels is, he deserves half the salary.
Madison Bumgarner is getting $17 million a year, but he’s locked in for five years.
As good as Gerrit Cole is, he’s getting DOUBLE Hamel’s average annual salary, and he’s getting it for nine years!
Hamels is a proven winner, said to be a good leader in the clubhouse, and was brought in for three reasons:
- Win baseball games and take the Braves back to the playoffs.
- Mentor the youngsters.
- It’s a low-risk one-year deal.
What do you think about the Cole Hamels deal now that you’ve seen other pitchers landing big contracts in the free agency market? Would we have been better off with another deal that has gone down? Let us know in the comments below!