Could Pirates starter Mitch Keller be on the move before the trade deadline?
Audacy baseball insider Bog Nightengale says the Chicago Cubs are interested in both Keller and reliever David Bednar.
Keller has a 1-10 record this season, but his ERA is 4.02 over 16 games. He has 73 strikeouts over 94 innings pitched.
Bednar is 2-5 this season, but has pitched better recently and has a 2.93 ERA over 31 appearances.
He has 11 saves over 27.2 innings and 39 strikeouts in 2025.
The Fan Morning Show talked about the possibility and said if the Pirates deal the 29-year-old Keller and 30-year-old Bednar, they better get players that will help them in the future.
With the Cubs being in the same division as the Pirates, both Dorin Dickerson and Adam Crowley wouldn’t do it.
“What’s the point . . . you give away two of your better pitchers . . . to your rival who you’re going to be competing against for years and years and years, what sense does that make at all?” asked Dickerson.
“None,” replied Crowley.
The PM Team’s Chris Mueller says he doesn’t think Pirates’ General Manager Ben Cherington is going to make such a move.
Mullsy adds that with the way the team has been set up by Cherington over the last several years, Cherington shouldn’t be the person making those type of moves.