Dallas Keuchel Sweepstakes Heating Up as 6 Teams Reportedly Give Chase

Most baseball fans were surprised that pitcher Dallas Keuchel made it through the offseason without getting signed, but it looks like the sweepstakes for his services are starting to heat up.

According to reports, six teams are vying to sign the pitcher. Once the MLB Draft is over after June 5, teams will no longer need to give up a draft pick to sign Keuchel, and analysts are expecting that the veteran lefty will be fielding various offers from clubs.

Both the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays have already been reported to have interest in Keuchel, but new reports suggest that the Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals could all be in the mix as well. These contending teams believe that Keuchel is the piece that could push them over the top.

During his seven-year tenure with the Houston Astros, Keuchel put up great numbers and cemented himself as one of the best in the league. He has a trio of 200-inning seasons, a career ERA of 2.66 and an American League Cy Young Award from 2015.

It's also been reported that Keuchel is open to signing a one-year deal now that the season has started, which makes him appealing to any team who's in win-now mode.

He's anticipated to command an $18 million salary, though that will likely be prorated as he won't have been on a roster for a full season. Any team able to afford that should be willing to open their wallets to land the lefty.

We'll have to see how it plays out for Keuchel and the teams bidding for him. Once the MLB Draft passes, we should start to get a clearer picture as to who will bring the pitcher into their rotation.