MLB Rumors: Padres Waiting For Right Moment, Keuchel A Possible Target

Dallas Keuchel remains unsigned, but it seems that the 31-year-old pitcher doesn’t mind. After shunning the qualifying offer made to him by the Houston Astros, any MLB team would have to give up its pick if they are to ink the free agent left-hander to a contract.

One team that could use Keuchel are the San Diego Padres. They are direly in need of starting pitching help and they have been, on multiple occasions, linked to the two-time All-Star. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be on the immediate road map of the Padres, although something could change moving forward. And that could all start after the 2019 MLB Draft on June 3.

There are actually two big-name pitchers available in MLB free agency. Joining Keuchel is Craig Kimbrell, someone who has been left idle since teams are saving their moves until after the MLB Draft. Both ended up in the free agent market with teams shying away because of their ridiculous demands – that of which is getting bigger and longer deals as mentioned in a previous article.

A plausible scenario right now is for both to sign short-term deals. So far, Keuchel seems to be the only one open to the idea of signing a one-year deal, CBS Sports reported. However, this scenario comes with the scenario of a deal happening before the 2019 MLB Draft. The stakes could change after June 3, meaning there is a chance that Keuchel could end up batting for another multi-year contract.

As for Kimbrel, he remains firm on his stand of not wanting to sign a one-year deal. He still wants a five-year deal worth $100 million although the 30-year-old is willing to lower that price tag. The only thing for sure though is that he is not amenable to the idea of playing a one-year rental, NBC Sports reported.

Going back to the Padres, Keuchel could be the guy they are looking for if they want to bolster their rotation. If nothing progresses, they may have to do it via trade. Trevor Bauer has been mentioned as a potential target although the hunt for someone to improve their pitching woes is expected to commence only after the 2019 MLB Draft. Will Keuchel be a consideration? The best answer for this is perhaps only if the price (and probably tenure) is right.