San Diego Padres: The Pros And Cons Of Signing Dallas Keuchel

The San Diego Padres have an interest in Dallas Keuchel. Should they pursue this option?

The San Diego Padres left Las Vegas without any new additions to their roster, but they did leave with a strong desire to acquire a third baseman and starting pitching for a roster largely void of both positions. So naturally, they signed second baseman Ian Kinsler to a two-year deal on Friday afternoon. The latest rumor out of San Diego is that the team is interested in free agent left-handed pitcher Dallas Keuchel.

Confirmed by Dennis Lin Friday evening, the San Diego Padres are closely monitoring the market for the soon-to-be 31-year-old starting pitcher. The signing of Patrick Corbin by the Washington Nationals and Nathan Eovaldi by the Boston Red Sox leaves Keuchel as the top remaining starter on the market this offseason and as Lin points out, Keuchel is expecting to be paid like it.

Starting a career-high 34 games last season with Houston, Keuchel had a solid season, nothing spectacular that stood out, but another solid season in a Houston Astros uniform. He did end the year by taking home a Gold Glove Award, his fourth time winning the award in seven big league seasons. He is no longer the 2015 Cy Young winning version of himself, but Keuchel is a pitcher who will provide big things for a starting rotation, wherever he ends up signing.

With the Padres now having confirmed interest in the lefty, let’s take a look at the positives and negatives of bringing Keuchel to San Diego.