Dallas Keuchel is a free agent no more and gets to keep his beard. The 2015 AL Cy Young Award has chosen the Atlanta Braves over the New York Yankees signing a 1-year, $13 million contract with the defending NL East champions. Keuchel, 31, had spent his entire professional career with the Houston Astros and had rejected a qualifying offer of $17.9 million from the team in the off-season. His signing comes only 24 hours after reliever Craig Kimbrel signed a multi-year deal. Unlike Kimbrel, Keuchel will be a free agent yet again after the 2019 season and could end up repeating this process yet again in 2020.
For the moment, the veteran southpaw joins a Braves team which is currently two games back of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves have had strong seasons from rookie Mike Soroka and Max Fried with Julio Teheran eating innings in the middle of the rotation. However, both veterans Kevin Gausman and Mike Foltynewicz have struggled as both starters have ERAs over 6.00. Once Keuchel joins the team, either Gausman or Foltynewicz will join the bullpen. However, there is no word as when Keuchel will make his Braves debut. But when he does it might very well make the NL East the most exciting pennant race in MLB.
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