Mitch Keller hopes conversation with Pirates owner leads to talks of long-term extension

BRADENTON, Fla. — Mitch Keller unveiled a new pitch in spring training, but the Pittsburgh Pirates’ ace right-hander was most excited about being on the receiving end of one.

As Keller watched a bullpen session Monday afternoon at Pirate City, chairman Bob Nutting and team president Travis Williams gave him the Bryan Reynolds treatment with a 30-minute conversation that could serve as a potential precursor to contract extension talks.

The 27-year-old Keller, who avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $5,442,500 contract, has expressed interest in signing a long-term extension with the Pirates. He turned down what was considered a lowball offer last May before a career year that saw him selected to his first All-Star Game and set a franchise record for strikeouts by a righty.

Now, Keller is open to resuming negotiations.

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to,” Keller told TribLive. “My hopes are high. I want to, but getting it done is a different story. We’ll see where it takes us. Hopefully we can get something done before spring or whenever it may be, but I would love to be here long term.”

Mitch Keller vs Henry Davis live BP pic.twitter.com/DlgjZiIPM7

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 20, 2024

A year ago, after Reynolds publicly requested a trade, Nutting made a public display by talking with the outfielder before batting practice. That conversation helped lay the groundwork for negotiations that led to the Pirates signing Reynolds to a franchise-record, eight-year, $106.75 million contract last April. Reynolds found his spring training talk with Nutting to be an icebreaker between the two parties after contentious arbitration negotiations.

“I think it’s good in all aspects of life to get the conversation going, be frank, up front and speak on a human level instead of on a business level,” Reynolds said. “Just cut through all the crap, you know, and get down to it.”

Keller called his conversation with Nutting and Williams “very casual,” a discussion that included his offseason preparation, the pitching technology the Pirates have invested in and how the information is being disseminated to players. Even after Williams left, Keller and Nutting continued talking alone for another 10 minutes or so.

“They’re trying to see what’s going on with the organization and how it’s working out and get my feedback,” Keller said. “It’s really cool to know they want my feedback. It just takes us to the next level of where I’m at in my career and, hopefully, I’ll be here long term. That would be cool.”

Pirates ace Mitch Keller on coming into camp with a different level of confidence after a career-best season that saw him earn first All-Star selection and set club K record for RHP. pic.twitter.com/X5dFBrhRcd

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 20, 2024

No player has been with the Pirates continuously longer than Keller, a 2014 second-round pick who made his major-league debut in May 2019. Nutting invested club-friendly, eight-year deals into Gold Glove third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and Reynolds the past two seasons, so signing Keller to a long-term extension before he reaches free agency in 2026 would create a third franchise cornerstone to build upon.

That could require another nine-figure contract, especially after Keller went 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA and set career bests with 210 strikeouts in 194 1/3 innings over 32 starts. That only increased his value as he entered his second year of arbitration. Another spectacular season could price Keller out of the Pirates’ plans.

A sign of how the price tag for pitchers can escalate: The San Diego Padres avoided free agency with Joe Musgrove in August 2022 by signing the former Pirates pitcher to a five-year, $100 million deal. After being traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tyler Glasnow signed for five years at $136.5 million in December.

Keller hopes to increase his value by adding another weapon to his arsenal. He plans to utilize the changeup more after throwing it on only 2.9% of his pitches last season. He learned mental cues on how to throw it from former Pirates pitcher Andre Jackson and developed a feel for the pitch this offseason. When Keller threw the changeup to Oneil Cruz in a live batting practice, he got the 6-foot-7 shortstop’s knees to buckle.

“The last pitch he threw, it was pretty evident that his stuff was sharp the first time throwing live here,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of the changeup. “It looked like it had some cut to it. It looked pretty good.”

Keller has rarely relied on a changeup in his career, even when it was one of only three pitches he threw in the lower minors. Now, he hopes to use it to complement his combination of four-seam fastball, cutter, sinker, sweeper and curveball that makes him dangerous to attack all quadrants.

“I think catching Mitch is easy — I say it every time when anyone asks — because he’s got so many weapons that there’s almost no wrong pitch to call,” catcher Jason Delay said, “because they’re all so good, and he’s able to execute them so well.”

Keller used his changeup so sporadically in the past that he’s still trying to figure out how and when to use it.

“I’m trying to figure out good spots to throw in counts,” Keller said. “It’s an every-once-in-a-while but never in a big spot. Now I feel like I can use it as a weapon in a big spot, where I feel like I got this if I need to.”

Pirates ace Mitch Keller on first impressions of No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes and his hope that they are paired atop the rotation in the near future. pic.twitter.com/mDz2bMgfnL

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 20, 2024

The presence of Paul Skenes, the No. 1 overall draft pick last July, at big-league camp also has Keller thinking about the future. The 6-foot-6 ½, 250-pound right-handed Skenes has impressed Keller with not only his size, extension and triple-digit velocity on his fastball but also his feel for spin pitches and ball movement.

“He’s the total package, man,” Keller said. “Hopefully, he’s here this year with us — or if it’s next year — whenever it is, it’s going to be special. I can’t wait, man. It’s going to be fun to toe the rubber with him and watch him pitch every fifth day. I’m just excited for his journey, to see his growth and development. He’s only going to get better, which is crazy to think about it.”

Keller can imagine being paired atop the starting rotation with Skenes, breaking the cycle of the Pirates trading their top pitchers before they reach free agency. They have dealt Gerrit Cole, Glasnow, Musgrove and Jameson Taillon over the past six seasons.

“I don’t want to pass the baton to him. I want to work with him,” Keller said of Skenes. “I don’t want him to be the next one. I want to be in a group together, which would be a lot of fun.”

That’s a conversation for another day, a pitch to Keller that will require the Pirates to pay up.