Pirates lock up All-Star right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller to 5-year contract extension

BRADENTON, Fla. — Mitch Keller impressed the Pittsburgh Pirates as much with his character as he did with his rise to All-Star pitcher, making him appear a safe bet to bank on for the future.

The Pirates locked up another franchise cornerstone Thursday morning, agreeing to a five-year contract extension with their ace right-hander, sources confirmed to TribLive.

The deal is for $77 million through 2028 for an average annual value of $15.4 million, according to a source. That makes it a franchise-record contract for both a pitcher and in terms of AAV.

Keller, 27, avoided arbitration in his second year of eligibility by signing a one-year contract worth $5,442,500 this season, a $3.05 million raise from his 2023 salary, and is expected to receive a signing bonus of more than $2 million. The extension was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

“While I obviously can’t comment on the contract at this point, what I can say is that Mitch Keller is not only a really strong pitcher who will be important for the Pirates for a long time but a remarkable human being,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting told TribLive on Thursday at Pirate City. “The intangibles that Mitch brings, in terms of head and heart, in terms of commitment to the club, in terms of attitude and in terms of leadership really make a huge impact on not only who we are now but who we should be as we go forward.”

Keller is coming off a career year in which he earned his first Opening Day start and All-Star Game selection and led Pirates starters in wins (13), ERA (4.21), WHIP (1.25), innings pitched (194 1/3) and set a franchise record for strikeouts in a season by a righty (210) and tied for most starts (32). A 2014 second-round pick, Keller has a career 25-38 record with a 4.71 ERA over five major-league seasons.

Nutting and team president Travis Williams had a 30-minute conversation with Keller on the field at Pirate City on Tuesday, including an extended talk between Keller and Nutting. Afterward, Keller said he was hopeful they could come to a long-term deal.

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to. My hopes are high,” Keller told TribLive. “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.”

It marks the third long-term contract extension given by the Pirates in the past three seasons. Third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes signed an eight-year, $70 million deal in April 2022. Left fielder Bryan Reynolds signed an eight-year, $106.75 million contract last April. That’s a total of $253.75 million committed to three core players.

“What we have said for a long time is that we’re going to focus on our internal talent, and we’re going to be willing to make a commitment to players when it’s appropriate,” Nutting said. “I think you saw that over the last couple years. We made strong additions of players who can really help lead this club forward, and we look forward to continuing to do that as we go forward with those opportunities.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton, who said Keller would be the Opening Day starter March 28 at Miami, stressed that Keller’s extension adds value to a team coming off a 76-win season and hopes to become a playoff contender.

“I think it’s important as we continue to build a core,” Shelton said. “Some of these guys have come up through the minor leagues together. They’re very familiar with each other. But, I think we’ve talked about over the last few years, there’s going to be commitment to a core. It’s important that we continue to build on that.”