Phillies free agency rumors: Team will battle with Braves for Dallas Keuchel
By John Town
The Phillies are eyeing Dallas Keuchel after missing out on Patrick Corbin, but they could be in contention with another NL East club for Keuchel’s services.
The Phillies had their eyes set on Patrick Corbin, stating that they weren’t going to be outbid for him. That didn’t last long as news soon emerged that he would be signing with the Nationals, Philadelphia’s rival in the NL East. As they now look for another left-handed starter, they may be in competition with another division rival.
Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports wrote that with the team missing out on Corbin, the team is now looking into signing Dallas Keuchel, now the top lefty on the market with Corbin signed. He is one of several left-handed options out there, along with J.A. Happ and Madison Bumgarner.
If the Phillies do decide to head down the Keuchel path, they could be facing some competition from their own division. Heyman stated the Braves would like to add a top-of-the-rotation left-handed starter to pair with Mike Foltynewicz. Keuchel fits that bill, which could lead to a competition between the two rivals.
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After losing out on Corbin to the Nationals, if Philadelphia and Atlanta both do decide to pursue Keuchel heavily, losing out on Keuchel to the Braves would hurt even more. Then two division rivals will have the starters that Philadelphia was looking for.
The Braves and Phillies are not the only teams looking into Keuchel. The Reds and Blue Jays both have Keuchel’s name on their list, although Heyman noted that the Blue Jays may not be able to reach his price point. One team notably not interested in Keuchel according to Heyman is the Yankees, who have not been linked to Keuchel despite also missing out on Corbin.
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After missing out on Corbin, Philadelphia may be more aggressive in pursuing Keuchel, as after him the market drops off considerably. Seeing two different pitchers the team wanted to get but failed to acquire throughout the season would sting even more.