The Boston Red Sox signed veteran right-hander Brad Keller to a one-year contract on Sunday, just six days after he was designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox.
Keller, 28, chose free agency on Wednesday. During his brief season with Chicago, he pitched in five games (two starts) and recorded a 0-2 record with a 4.86 ERA, six walks, and 13 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings, with his most recent appearance on May 18.
From 2018 to 2023, Keller played for the Kansas City Royals, amassing a 38-53 record with one save, a 4.27 ERA, 303 walks, and 506 strikeouts in 679 innings across 150 games (114 starts).
In a corresponding move, the Red Sox optioned right-hander Zack Kelly to Triple-A Worcester. Kelly, 29, has a 0-1 record with a 2.16 ERA, 10 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings over 11 relief appearances this season.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora stated that Keller will serve as a long reliever. The team is dealing with injuries to their pitching staff, including right-hander Garrett Whitlock, who announced on Saturday that he will miss the rest of the season due to an elbow procedure.
“(Keller has) got good stuff, it’s interesting,” Cora said Sunday. “And where we’re at right now, obviously using Chase (Anderson) for four innings two days ago and then Zack (Kelly) for three innings (Saturday), we’re kind of short in that aspect.”
