Phillies receive high praise for $22 million Brad Keller signing from ESPN

Matt Sullivan

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Phillies receive high praise for $22 million Brad Keller signing from ESPN image

The Philadelphia Phillies have had an interesting offseason thus far. Their $155 million Kyle Schwarber deal is a lot of money to pay a designated hitter only, and the $10 million Adolis Garcia signing was met with some criticism.

But their next move drew less attention but much greater praise. A $22 million contract over two years for reliever Brad Keller was an interesting deal for the Phillies, and resolved their right-handed set-up man role they've been searching for.

For ESPN's David Schoenfield, this signing of Keller is a very good one. In handing out a grade to the Phillies for this signing, Schoenfield gave the Phillies an "A-" for this $22 million Brad Keller signing.

Phillies receive strong praise from ESPN on Brad Keller $22 million deal

"This could end up being one of the sneaky best signings of the offseason," Schoenfield writes.

Keller is an interesting signing, as he's a former starter who struggled with the Kansas City Royals for a while, but in 2025, turned into one of the best right-handed relievers in the game.

His fastball ticked up a few mph, and his 2.07 ERA last season, along with a.171 batting average against and an overall dominant season, made Keller one of the more interesting options this winter.

Some viewed him as a starter, while others viewed him as a reliever. The Phillies are likely to use Keller as the set-up man for Jhoan Duran, but also have the option to start him at the beginning of the year with Zack Wheeler coming back from injury.

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But, regardless of whether he's a starting pitcher or a bullpen arm, Schoenfield had very high praise for this contract between the Phillies and Keller.

"At two years and $22 million, this would be a bargain if Keller replicates what Holmes did for the Mets -- 3.53 ERA, 1.9 WAR." Schoenfield writes. "And as a fallback, the Phillies have a high-leverage reliever."

If the Phillies get a quality starter out of Keller on an $11 million per-year deal, it would be a major steal. But, even if he's a set-up man for Duran in 2026 and 2027, if he replicates his 2025 season, then it would still be a steal.

While the Phillies haven't made a major splash this winter, this Brad Keller contract is one of the best made by any team this offseason. Schoenfield gave the Phillies an "A-" grade, and for good reason.

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Editorial Team