New Chicago White Sox starter Keuchel wants to help open 'winning window'

Money always matters on baseball's free-agent market. For starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel, there was another big reason for signing with the White Sox.

"Just (the) willingness to win," Keuchel said on a conference call Monday after agreeing to a three-year, $55.5 million contract with the Sox. "They are really pushing toward kind of opening that winning window, and I think in the AL Central there is about a three-to-five year gap right now to really push it."

The White Sox haven't been to the playoffs since 2008, and they haven't had a winning record since 2012.

But after adding young talent such as Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal during a three-year rebuild and getting veterans Yasmani Grandal, Edwin Encarnacion, Gio Gonzalez and Nomar Mazara this off-season, the Sox are starting to look like contenders.

Adding Keuchel to the growing list of veteran newcomers is only going to help them get back to playing meaningful baseball.

"We are extremely excited about this addition," Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "We view this as the next logical step in our process, one that was a high priority for us entering this off-season, adding someone who not only helps stabilize the rotation but someone who is going to be a key contributor inside the clubhouse as well.

"We obviously have spent a lot of time over the last few years accumulating what we feel to be potentially highly impactful young pitching talent. It was always part of our plan, at some point, to add someone to this rotation who would not only serve to stabilize the performance of the rotation in between the lines, but also someone who could help mentor these young starters as they take those next steps to fulfilling their potential at the big-league level."

Keuchel, who celebrates his 32nd birthday Wednesday, was 8-8 with a 3.75 ERA over 19 starts for the Braves last season.

The left-hander also was a free agent last winter, but he didn't sign with Atlanta until June 8. His old team, the Astros, gave him a $17.9 million qualifying offer after the 2018 season, which Keuchel rejected.

If he would have signed with another team before June 8, it would have cost that team a high draft pick.

Keuchel is a career 84-71 with a 3.67 ERA over eight seasons with Houston and Atlanta. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder was the 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner after going 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA for the Astros.

Keuchel also is a two-time all-star and four-time Gold Glove winner.

His contract with the White Sox includes a $20 million club option for 2023 with a $1.5 million buyout.

"I heard quite a few good things from outside sources about the clubhouse and (Jose) Abreu's leadership with the guys in the infield and the outfield and then obviously Giolito taking a big, big step last year," Keuchel said. "There were a lot of factors, outside factors that kind of interested me really early in the off-season process.

"I have already talked to Grandal and Giolito and Gio Gonzalez, reached out to Abreu and I'm going to reach out to some of these cats. Just being on the South Side, the black and white, it really bodes well not only for I think my skill set but my clothing apparel as well."