Brad Keller, a right-handed pitcher, has signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox, the team announced on Friday afternoon.
An invitation to the remainder of Chicago’s major league Spring Training camp in Glendale, Arizona, is included with Keller’s deal.
After being selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft from the Arizona Diamondbacks, the 28-year-old played with them for the previous six seasons.
Keller burst onto the scene in 2018, going 9-6 with a 3.08 ERA and 4.2 WAR across 140.1 innings as a rookie. His ERA crept up to 4.19 in 2021, but he slashed it to 2.47 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Over the next few years, though, Keller’s production started to drop off. From 2021 to 2023, Keller posted a 5.14 ERA, 1.629 WHIP and 0.2 WAR.
Keller exceeded 130 innings pitched in both 2021 and 2022, but shoulder injuries limited him to just 45.1 innings in 2023. The righty hit the 15-day injured list with with right shoulder impingement syndrome in May, and his numerous rehab attempts were largely fruitless.
Keller cashed in on solid deals during his arbitration years, making $13.95 million over the last four seasons. In 2023, Keller’s salary was $5.775 million. He won’t be making anywhere near that with Chicago, as he isn’t even guaranteed a role in the big league pitching staff.
