Who Am I?
Dallas Keuchel
LHP
Age: 29
Height: 6′ 3″
Weight: 205
Throws left, Bats left
How did I get here?
Drafted in the 7th round by Houston in 2009. Called up in 2012.
Contract status: Keuchel avoided arbitration by agreeing to a 1 year, $9.15M contract for 2017. He has one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining, then can become a free agent after the 2018 season.
Why am I here?
I don’t want to put too fine a point on this, but Houston’s 2017 season pretty much ride’s on Keuchel’s left arm. If he’s the pitcher he was in 2016, the Astros could still battle for a wild card spot, and then pray that McCullers or some pitcher yet to be determined can get them through the wild card game.
But if he’s the pitcher he was in 2014 and 2015 – a clear ace? Buckle up, folks – it’s going to be one hell of a ride.
What are my strengths?
The Astros have plenty of guys who could throw the ball through a door. Giles, Feliz, McCullers – and Martes waiting in the wings. Dallas Keuchel of 2014 and 2015 is another guy who could throw the ball through the door.
He’d just fit it through the keyhole.
For two years, Keuchel absolutely painted the edge of the plate – just on and just off. Keuchel could then choose from the sinker or the slider to put the hitter away.
Oh, and he fields his position better than any Astro pitcher not named Mike Hampton.
What are my weaknesses?
Keuchel’s fastball and curve went from “show-me” pitches in 2014-15 to “hit-me” last season, and batters seemed to be sitting on the sinker – after giving up only a .302 SLG on sinkers in 2015, he jumped to a .486 SLG in 2016.
What is my future with the Astros?
There are two clear paths here.
On one road, Keuchel bounces back in 2017, leads the Astros on a deep playoff run, and Jim Crane writes his first big extension check before Dallas becomes a free agent.
The other road… the other road is the Keuchel of 2016. One that shows that it wasn’t pitching hurt, it was that the league figured him out. And now the Astros putative ace heads into 2018 with no extension, a possible trade, and people wondering if a window is already closing.
So as I said before… there’s more than a little bit riding on Keuchel’s left arm in 2017.
What is my projected 2017 performance?
The fielding reminds me of Mike Hampton, but nothing else about them is similar. I’m going with Barry Zito. Now we find out if Keuchel is still capturing Zito’s Oakland years, or if he’s turning into the version across the bay.