Phillies Sign RHP Brad Keller To 2-Year Deal
Apart from their lineup underperforming, the bullpen was a clear issue for the Phillies in the playoffs. They just did not have the firepower outside of Jhoan Duran to trust…
Apart from their lineup underperforming, the bullpen was a clear issue for the Phillies in the playoffs. They just did not have the firepower outside of Jhoan Duran to trust they could get through the late innings once their starter came out. An issue the Phillies hope will be corrected by their latest move. They signed RHP Brad Keller to a 2-year deal worth $22 million.
Keller was electric in 2025. He sported a 2.07 ERA. a 0.96 WHIP, and struck out 75 batters in 69.2 innings. It was by far the best season for the 29 year old pitcher. 2025 was the 1st time his ERA fell below 4.0 since 2020.
Before 2025, Keller spent 6 years with the Royals and split his 2024 season between the White Sox and Red Sox. 2024 was a rough season for him. His ERA ballooned to 5.44 across 41.1 innings. But before you worry that last year was a flash in the pan, the underlying stats show it was a real step forward, not just a lucky season.
His fastball gained nearly 4 miles per hour. His chase rate jumped from 27% to 30.4%. He generated far more ground balls. More importantly, he had more control, walking batters just 8% of the time, after having walk issues earlier in his career.
How Brad Keller Fits Into The Phillies Bullpen
Keller joins a bullpen that now features Jhoan Duran, Jose Alvarado, Orion Kerkering, Matt Straham, and Tanner Banks. They will likely still tinker with that, but you can expect Keller to be the main setup guy vs righties. Alvarado will be the setup guy vs lefties, and Duran the closer. That just leaves deciding what to do with Straham and Kerkering.
Both are under contract, but have struggled in the past two playoffs. The Phillies may look to upgrade there, but Kerkering had a solid season, and still has good stuff. They might want to see if he can take another step coming off his disastrous mistake that ended the season.
But at the very least, Brad Keller gives them one more arm in the bullpen whom they believe they can completely trust. If he is as good as he was last season, he will make a hell of a 1-2 punch with Jhoan Duran.
