Former Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel signing minor league deal two years after last MLB game

A former Cy Young Award winner is returning to the mound as he vies to pitch in the big leagues for the first time in two years.Left-hander Dallas Keuchel agreed to a minor league deal with the A’s, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Saturday afternoon.Keuchel will join the A’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.The 38-year-old last pitched in the big leagues with the Brewers in 2024, throwing four games that summer with a 5.40 ERA.

He did pitch professionally last season with the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals affiliate) and held a 3.53 ERA with 30 strikeouts over 35 2/3 innings.He was released last August, however, and never caught on with another team until his deal with the A’s.Keuchel, at his peak in the mid-to-late 2010s, helped revive the Astros as they went from a bottom-feeder in the AL West to World Series champions in 2017.Keuchel was twice an All-Star and took home the 2015 American League Cy Young when he led the circuit in wins (20), innings pitched (232) and WHIP (1.01), as Houston reached the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.The southpaw spent seven seasons in Houston and held a 3.66 ERA and 1.25 WHIP while throwing 12 complete games as one of the more durable pitchers in all of baseball.He pitched well for the Braves in 2019 and the White Sox the following year in the COVID-shortened season, but his career derailed in his age-33 campaign, and he never came close to reaching his award-winning heights.The A’s sit at 44-59 but are just eight games out in a weak AL West.Pitching has been an issue, as they rank second-worst in both ERA and WHIP in MLB....