Brad Keller has to answer a very existential question in free agency: Who is he called to be?
The Chicago Cubs' right-hander came up in baseball as a starting pitcher, but in 2025, he was a dominant reliever for the Cubbies.
So now what: Starter or reliever?
It will define his free agency.
Keller was good enough this past season that he's getting a solid contract no matter what he and his signing team decide. But his future output could depend on getting it right.
MORE: Kyle Tucker trade isn't aging well for Cubs
ESPN's Jeff Passan laid out the conundrum in a few paragraphs on Tuesday:
Much like Clay Holmes last year and Seth Lugo and Michael King before him, Brad Keller is seen by some teams as the perfect starter-to-reliever-back-to-starter conversion. Keller, 30, was one of the best relievers in baseball this past season, with his velocity jumping 3.5 mph and his slider turning into one of the game's finest as he moved from the rotation to the bullpen.
Worst-case scenario -- a la Jordan Hicks -- Keller fails at starting but returns to relieving. Or perhaps he becomes a Nick Martinez or Michael Soroka, two more free agents this winter whose ability to swing between roles has become one of their hallmarks. The same could be said for Anthony Kay and Foster Griffin, a pair of left-handers returning from Japan, or right-hander Jon Duplantier, who finally found control -- and success.
None of them is set up to do as well as Keller. One good season in the bullpen, and he's going to get a three-year deal. Whether it's to start or relieve is up to the people paying.
Whether the Cubs get involved is a question here, too. Chicago seems content to let Kyle Tucker and Shota Imanaga leave in free agency. Maybe they're just downsizing here.
But it'd be the Cubs that would have more insight than any team into what Keller truly can do on the mound. Their internal pitching data would likely lead to a very informed decision by Chicago on this matter.
Another team would be taking just a bit more risk. Do you keep Keller where he looked so comfortable, or do you hope his stuff stays improved back in a rotation? It's a choice that will determine if signing Keller winds up being a good or bad idea.
More MLB news:
- Mariners' Jorge Polanco free agent plans encounter a road block
- Pirates' infielder leaving MLB to play in Japan
- Red Sox 'still kicking themselves' for 187-HR mistake
- Munetaka Murakami given 5 free agent landing spots
- SF Giants predicted to sign George Kittle's brother-in-law