Report: Reds aggressively pursuing Keuchel
The Cincinnati Reds are "all over" free-agent left-hander Dallas Keuchel, according to a report from Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports.
Cincinnati, which plays in the hitter's haven of Great American Ball Park, is reportedly interested in Keuchel's ability to induce grounders. The 30-year-old posted a 53.7 percent ground-ball rate last season.
Keuchel pitched to a 3.74 ERA over 204 2/3 innings last season and earned his third Gold Glove as the league's best defensive pitcher. While the left-hander hasn't returned to his 2015 form that propelled him to the American League Cy Young, Keuchel owns a 3.77 ERA over 518 1/3 innings since then - the eighth-most frames among AL starters.
The Reds are rumored to be interested in multiple starting pitchers this winter, including fellow free-agent lefties Patrick Corbin and J.A. Happ.
Cincinnati had the fifth-worst rotation in baseball last season, according to FanGraphs. Luis Castillo led the rotation with 169 2/3 innings over 31 starts, posting a 4.30 ERA and 4.32 FIP. Sal Romano, Matt Harvey, Anthony DeSclafani, Tyler Mahle, and Homer Bailey all logged over 100 innings each.