MLB Rumors: Yankees, Other Teams Tendering An Offer To Keuchel Soon

There are still a couple of big-name players still available in the MLB free agent market. One of them is Dallas Keuchel, the former Houston Astros Ace who won the American League Cy Young Award back in 2015. Along with Craig Kimbrel, he is one of the reliable options to consider signing but so far that has not happened.

There are several teams interested in the 31-year-old southpaw, someone who can certainly provide a big lift in pitching. He made 34 starts last season for the Astros, pitching 204 2/3 innings with a 3,74 ERA. Like Kimbrel, Keuchel did seek a bigger deal, a reason why he shunned the qualifying offer by Houston. He has since lowered his contract expectations but no team has been able to hook him up just yet.

At least one team has reportedly expressed interest in former University of Arkansas product -- the New York Yankees. Nothing has progressed as of this writing and it seems that the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft is to be blamed. The pick associated with the signing of a free agent who would receive a qualifying offer is seen as the reason, a possible indication that Keuchel will have to wait until June to see where he could suit up next, NESN reported.

The Yankees could be one of the multiple teams that would touch base with Keuchel, although other teams may follow. That may include his former team, the Houston Astros, who are not exactly having a smooth season. Pitching has not exactly been something to proud of despite the fact Houston does have aces in Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Verlander struggles in his first couple of starts before figuring it out, like we knew he would, the last few. Cole has struggled as well and seems like he’s getting ready to turn a corner back to dominance, Fansided reported.

Before speculating which team would take him in, there is the matter of expected salary Keuchel wants. While he is open to a one-year deal, something that Kimbrel is unwilling to take, but the actual amount will matter. Originally, Keuchel was seeking a six-year deal worth around $18 million annually. Would this be a price MLB teams would be willing to pay? It remains to be seen if Keuchel will also lower those figures before teams continue advancing to the player signing stages.