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Red Sox sign reliever who dominated in Japan, will compete for Opening Day roster spot
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- Red Sox sign reliever who dominated in Japan, will compete for Opening Day roster spot
The Red Sox added a rather intriguing arm to their class of spring training non-roster invitees Tuesday.
A source confirmed Boston reached a minor league contract with right-handed reliever Kyle Keller , who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2021 but has spent the last four years posting solid numbers in Japan. Keller's deal comes with an invitation to major league camp. It calls for a $1.9 million base salary if he makes the major league roster, as The Athletic's Will Sammon first reported, and $500,000 in potential performance bonuses. Those numbers are high for a non-roster deal but reflect Keller's unique free agent status.
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Keller, who turns 33 in April, aimed to return stateside this winter after a strong four-year run in Japan in which he logged a 2.42 ERA and struck out 177 batters in 152 ⅓ innings over 158 games for Hanshin and Yomiuri. In 2025 with Yomiuri, Keller threw 51 ⅓ frames and posted a 2.81 ERA with 55 strikeouts. In Japan, his 28.8% strikeout percentage ranked fifth-best among qualified pitchers (min. 150 innings) from 2022-25.
Before heading overseas, Keller was a Marlins farmhand (after being selected in the 18th round of the 2015 draft) who cracked the majors in three straight seasons for three separate teams (the Marlins, Angels and Pirates) from 2019-2021. He struggled to a 5.83 ERA in 44 appearances during that span while walking batters at a high rate (22 in 33 ⅓ innings) with Pittsburgh . After the season, he opted to sign with Hanshin.
Keller is a traditional late-game reliever who will get the chance to compete for a spot in a rather unsettled Red Sox bullpen. With Jordan Hicks out of the mix after being traded to the White Sox on Sunday , the Red Sox have righties Justin Slaten , Greg Weissert , Zack Kelly and Rule 5 pick Ryan Watson as well as lefties Jovani Morán and Tyler Samaniego in the mix for relief spots alongside setup man Garrett Whitlock and closer Aroldis Chapman . With a strong showing in spring training, Keller could push someone like Watson for a spot in the sixth- and seventh-inning mix. Also, Keller's contract will not force the Red Sox to make a decision before Opening Day (March 26).
According to a league source, Keller's deal includes two assignment clauses (in which he'd leave if offered a major league roster spot with another club and the Red Sox chose not to add him to their own roster) and a traditional opt-out clause in which he can elect free agency in pursuit of a different opportunity. The first of those clauses doesn't kick in until mid-April, so the Red Sox can potentially have Keller break camp at Triple-A Worcester and pitch there for a couple weeks before being forced into a decision. Keller also has a foreign inquiry clause in his deal that allows him to entertain offers from clubs in Japan and Korea. He was originally seeking a major league deal and had a long list of suitors offering a non-roster invite before choosing Boston.
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Keller joins a growing list of 24 non-roster invitees for the Red Sox, who have also added veterans Matt Thaiss and Vinny Nittoli this week. Other pitchers with MLB experience who received invites include Tayron Guerrero, Hobie Harris, Seth Martinez and Devin Sweet.
Pitchers and catchers are due to report to Fort Myers at the beginning of next week.
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