The San Francisco Giants will be looking for starting pitching depth this offseason, with a veteran mid-rotation starter being named as a possible target.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield has proposed an idea that the Giants should trade for Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller. Keller has spent his entire seven-year career with the Pirates, and has pitched to a career ERA of 4.51, and is a one-time All-Star.
“The Giants churned through 15 starting pitchers in 2025 and return only three who made more than 10 starts,” Schoenfield said. “Hayden Birdsong and Carson Whisenhunt are the top internal candidates, but adding a veteran starter for stability looks like an offseason necessity.”
“Keller is signed for three more years at an AAV of about $18.5 million. His biggest strength has been durability and consistency, making at least 29 starts four seasons in a row and averaging 183 innings and 2.1 WAR the past three seasons,” he added.
Keller wouldn’t come to the Giants as a front-line starter, but would provide solid depth and reliability in the back end of their rotation. After finishing 81-81 last season, and missing the postseason, the Giants will be looking to bounce back in 2026, and the best way to do that is addressing the starting rotation.
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