The Red Sox Are Reportedly Interested In Two-Time Cy Young Award Winner Corey Kluber

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This news would've been super exciting two or three years ago, but that doesn't mean I don't hate it.

I don't necessarily love it, though. When I say I don't love it, it's not because I think it's a bad idea. It's your classic low risk, potentially somewhat high reward move. I'm not expecting a Cy Young caliber pitcher to show up at Fenway Park if the Red Sox bring in right-hander Corey Kluber on what I would imagine would be a one-year deal with a base salary in the neighborhood of $5 million with incentives that could get it up to somewhere in the $10-15 million range. Just a guess; not an informed opinion. I'm sure the Red Sox would throw incentives in there based on starts made or innings pitched with escalators throughout for different milestones -- 100 innings, 125 innings, 150 innings, Cy Young finish, All Star selection, etc.

If he's accumulating those innings, one might assume that he's pitching well enough and is healthy enough to continue getting the ball, therefore earning his paycheck every fifth day. If that's the case, great! I'm all for it. But again, stating the obvious, you'd have to temper your expectations because Kluber is entering his age-35 season and is coming off a year in which he was on the 60-day injured list with a torn muscle in his right shoulder, limiting him to just one start in 2020. This coming after making just seven starts in 2019.

If you land Kluber and it works out, you still haven't fixed the rotation. That much is for certain. But it's an arm, and you need those. Better than bringing in dudes who haven't pitched in the big leagues in eight years to see what they have left in the tank like the Red Sox did this season. Best case scenario, you've got your number three or four starter. Worst case scenario, it's a sunk cost and you've got yet another hole in your rotation. Sorry if that's not the excitement level you were expecting, but that's just the reality of this particular news item.