An intriguing development could end any chance of the Cubs re-signing Brad Keller

By the end of the year, there was nobody Chicago Cubs fans (or manager Craig Counsell) wanted on the mound more with the game on the line than Brad Keller.

The 30-year-old right-hander turned in a breakout campaign on the North Side in 2025, making a career-high 68 appearances while working to an impressive 2.07 ERA and 2.93 FIP to go along with a personal-best 9.7 K/9. Since the season ended, there has been mutual interest in a reunion between Keller and the Cubs, but given how his market is shaping up, that seems less likely by the day.

Brad Keller is drawing interest as both a starter and a reliever

According to the New York Post, Keller is drawing free agent interest as both a reliever and a starter, which shouldn't be all that surprising given he has made 117 starts in his MLB career. But if he's able to command starter money on the open market, the odds of Chicago bringing him back into the fold feel quite slim.

The Cubs' front office is tasked with essentially rebuilding the bullpen from scratch, with Daniel Palencia remaining as the lone significant holdover from this year's club. There are several high-end relief arms available on the open market, and Jed Hoyer seems more open to signing relievers to multi-year deals than he has in the past.

Keller was brilliant in his lone season in Chicago, especially post-All-Star break, when he allowed just one earned run (0.33 ERA) in 28 appearances to go along with a 0.578 WHIP and 11.4 K/9. In October, he played a huge role for Counsell, allowing just one run in 5 2/3 innings.

MLB Trade Rumors projects Keller for a three-year, $36 million deal this winter - and with Colin Rea already back in the fold as a swing man, that feels steep for the Cubs, especially if they want him to return in a similar role to the one he held this season. Never say never - sometimes, two sides just want to find a way to make it work - but if money is what Keller is looking for, odds are he'll be able to find it somewhere outside of Chicago.