The Phillies agreed to a two-year deal with free-agent right-hander Brad Keller, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Wednesday. The club has not confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical and will be worth $22 million, according to a report by The Athletic’s Matt Gelb.
Keller, 30, is coming off one of the best seasons of his eight-year MLB career, a season in which he emerged as one of the most effective relievers in the game for the Cubs. While half of Keller’s 234 career appearances were starts and he discussed both starting and relieving with interested clubs this offseason, the Phillies plan to use him as a reliever, according to MLB Network insider Joel Sherman.
He made 68 appearances for Chicago (all but one in relief) last year and pitched to a 2.07 ERA and 2.94 FIP with 75 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings. He also had a 0.96 WHIP and held opponents to a .182 average, both of which were career bests. That opponents’ average ranked as the fifth-best mark among primary NL relievers with at least 60 innings pitched, while the 2.07 ERA ranked seventh-best.
2025 was Keller’s second season as a primary reliever after spending five-plus seasons mostly as a starter with the Royals, a tenure that ended after he underwent Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery in October 2023. When he returned from the injury the next season, success did not immediately follow.
Keller signed a free-agent contract with the White Sox for 2024, but Chicago granted him free agency after just five appearances. That led to a free-agent deal with the Red Sox, but his time with Boston was also short-lived (11 appearances). In all, Keller went 0-4 with a 5.44 ERA between the two teams.
But he signed with the Cubs before the 2025 season and, now fully healthy, transformed himself into a major part of their bullpen. With a five-pitch repertoire that includes a 97 mph four-seam fastball and three other putaway pitches (sinker, sweeper and changeup), Keller produced an impressive chase rate of 30.4 percent. He also held batters to a 30.6 percent hard-hit rate, which ranked in MLB’s 99th percentile, while his .204 expected opponents’ average was also among baseball’s best.
Meanwhile, Keller’s 27.2 percent strikeout rate was easily a career high and well above the MLB average of 17.9 percent.
Keller’s effectiveness was best on display during the second half. In a span of 28 appearances from July 18 through the end of the regular season, he allowed just one run (0.33 ERA) and held opponents to an .089 average.
