Philadelphia Phillies rumors indicate Dallas Keuchel could still be option for 2019

While Philadelphia Phillies fans continue to watch and see what Bryce Harper decides, Dallas Keuchel is another name keeping an eye on in free agency.

To say Philadelphia Phillies fans are tired of reading about Bryce Harper rumors at this point in the offseason would be a huge understatement since every time there seems like an update is coming, it usually leads to nothing at all.

Look at a couple of days ago in which Manny Machado agreed to a 10-year, $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres, making it seem like Harper would finally reach a decision soon after, only to keep baseball fans waiting as of Thursday night.

Only time will tell when it comes to seeing if Philadelphia ends up being the new home for Harper, but in the mean time, fans should also be keeping an eye on other potential targets for the Phillies to consider.

Take a look at Dallas Keuchel for instance, who the team was reportedly interested in a few months back, and may even still be part of the potential plan for the Phillies, whether Harper is around or not.

While some will make the case that Philadelphia shouldn’t risk waiting on Keuchel since it would be devastating to watch him end up on a different team if the interest were there all because Harper couldn’t make a decision, keep in mind this is the correct approach.

Most likely, the Phillies don’t want to jump the gun in spending a ridiculous amount of money on Keuchel since they most likely would prefer to see how this situation with Harper plays out first, and go from there.

As frustrating as it was to watch Keuchel finish with a 12-11 record this past season, the 31-year-old pitcher still seems to have plenty of gas left in the old tank, and it was only 2017 in which he helps the Houston Astros win the World Series with an impressive 14-5 record.

Take this into consideration with the fact that Keuchel would be feeling less pressure as well in a rotation consisting of Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta, this signing could be another key move for the Phillies this offseason if it were to happen.

Harper or not, Philadelphia has done an amazing job this offseason by adding numerous key players to the mix to put them in better position to compete in 2019, and if Keuchel were to somehow become part of the picture eventually, it will only increase their chances of winning.