Report: Phillies unwilling to give Keuchel 5-year deal
The Philadelphia Phillies might want to spend "stupid" money this winter, but there appears to be a limit on what they're willing to pay Dallas Keuchel.
While the Phillies are still pursuing the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, they reportedly don't want to meet Keuchel's asking price of a five-year contract, sources told Jon Morosi of MLB.com.
Philadelphia isn't the only NL East team wary of Keuchel's demands, as the Washington Nationals also reportedly expressed reservations about handing him a five- or six-year deal.
Keuchel would still be a good fit for the Phillies' rotation. As a left-hander, he'd help to balance an entirely right-handed staff. He's also a ground-ball pitcher who has limited home runs while pitching in Houston's homer-friendly Minute Maid Park, skills that would help him adjust to the also hitter-friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
The Phillies may be wary after the 30-year-old surrendered an MLB-leading 211 hits last year, and his K/9 dropped to just 6.7 in 2018. Still, Keuchel stayed healthy in 2018, starting 34 games - the first time he's crossed the 30-start threshold since 2015 - while issuing less than three walks per nine innings pitched. He also continued to play stellar defense and won his fourth career Gold Glove Award.
The Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves are among several other teams that have been linked to Keuchel this offseason.