Corey Kluber signs with Red Sox

[Jasonbay44]

1 year deal with club option

 

Money not announced yet

 

Per Jeff Passan

[Bellhorn04]

Well, whaddya know.

[Bellhorn04]

$10 mill guarantee.

 

Good signing, Chaim.

[mvp 78]

f***in' A, man.

[mvp 78]

Now Paxton can sit at home.

 

Kluber

Sale

Bello

Whitlock

Pivetta

[Hugh2]

Now Paxton can sit at home.

 

Kluber

Sale

Bello

Whitlock

Pivetta

 

If healthy, why not roll out with a 6 man?

[mvp 78]

If healthy, why not roll out with a 6 man?

 

Angels have done it for a while now. They could try it, but the Sox would have to get healthy first.

[Bellhorn04]

If healthy, why not roll out with a 6 man?

 

Or, Paxton starts the year on the Phantom IL and is ready when needed.

[Jasonbay44]

If healthy, why not roll out with a 6 man?

 

I doubt Paxton or Sale last the whole season, so a 6th man rotation would likely turn into a 5 man rotation anyway

[Bellhorn04]

I doubt Paxton or Sale last the whole season, so a 6th man rotation would likely turn into a 5 man rotation anyway

 

Safer bets have never been made.

[harmony]

$10 mill guarantee.

 

Good signing, Chaim.

Corey Kluber's was one of the few free agent contracts to come in under the MLB Trade Rumors prediction:

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/11/mlb-trade-rumors-top-50-free-agents-predictions-2022-23.html

 

What former Stetson Hatter righthander will post the best numbers in 2023: Kluber, Jacob deGrom or Logan Gilbert?

[Jasonbay44]

Corey Kluber's was one of the few free agent contracts to come in under the MLB Trade Rumors prediction:

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/11/mlb-trade-rumors-top-50-free-agents-predictions-2022-23.html

 

What former Stetson Hatter righthander will post the best numbers in 2023: Kluber, Jacob deGrom or Logan Gilbert?

I would go with Degrom, assuming health. He hasn’t really fallen off at all skill wise, it’s just he can’t stay healthy.

[StephenCurry30]

this rotation would’ve been nasty… in 2016

[moonslav59]

I still think counting on Sale and Paxton as just one SP'er makes sense. The big wish would be they both don't go on the IL at the same exact times.

 

In theory, a healthy staff would allow us to put Whitlock back in the pen, but I would not like to see us jerk him back there, after telling him he will be the SP'er in 2023.

 

Gotta love this move.

 

I only hope Bloom does not think he's done.

 

We need a SS and I'd like to see another pitcher- maybe Chafin or Fulmer.

 

Forget the reported trade talk for Wendle: trade for Rojas, instead.

 

Assume we add Andrus or Rojas and Chafin or Fulmer. Find our weakest 2 slots on the 26 and think about how they compare to the previous 3 years:

 

1. L Yoshida LF

2. R Story 2B

3. L Devers 3B

4. R Turner DH

5. L Casas 1B

6. R Kike CF

7. L Dugo RF

8. R Adrus/Rojas SS

9. L McGuire

Bench

R Refsnyder RF/CF (Dugo struggles vs lefties)

R Wong C (McGuire bats lefty)

R Arroyo 2B

R Dalbec or L EValdez or L Duran

 

SP1 Sale

SP2 Kluber

SP3 Whitlock

SP4 Bello

SP5 Pivetta

SP6 Paxton (Mata, Crawford, Wink, Walter, Seabold, Murphy)

 

RP1 Jansen

RP2 Chafin/Fulmer

RP3 Martin

RP4 Houck

RP5 Schreiber

RP6 Barnes

RP7 Joely

RP8 Mills (option remaining) or Crawford/Brasier/Taylor/Kelly/German or a SP'er converted

 

[mvp 78]

Cotillo interviewed Kluber during the season last year:

 

There have been rumors that the Red Sox tried to sign you in each of the last two winters. Did you ever get close to signing with Boston?

 

“They were definitely one of the teams that we talked with the last couple years. For whatever reason, it just didn’t get across the finish line. But no reason other than it didn’t work out.”

 

You lived in Boston in the off-season for a period of time. What did you like about the city?

 

“I think it’s an awesome city. I think it’s a great place. During the summer time, during baseball season, it’s hard to find a better place. I enjoy going there as a visitor. Fenway is one of, if not my favorite park in the big leagues. Just the environment, the history of it, all that sort of stuff. I just think it’s a very cool place.”

[moonslav59]

Cotillo interviewed Kluber during the season last year:

 

There have been rumors that the Red Sox tried to sign you in each of the last two winters. Did you ever get close to signing with Boston?

 

“They were definitely one of the teams that we talked with the last couple years. For whatever reason, it just didn’t get across the finish line. But no reason other than it didn’t work out.”

 

You lived in Boston in the off-season for a period of time. What did you like about the city?

 

“I think it’s an awesome city. I think it’s a great place. During the summer time, during baseball season, it’s hard to find a better place. I enjoy going there as a visitor. Fenway is one of, if not my favorite park in the big leagues. Just the environment, the history of it, all that sort of stuff. I just think it’s a very cool place.”

 

Smiling, now.

[dgalehouse]

Okay. I'm not getting the excitement about signing Kluber. It's like the kid who thought Santa forgot him , then is happy when he finds a still functioning Atari under the tree. Kluber is coming off a 10-10 , 4.34 ERA year with the Rays. That is definitely ham and egger territory. Like the old grey mare, he ain't what he used to be.

[mvp 78]

Okay. I'm not getting the excitement about signing Kluber. It's like the kid who thought Santa forgot him , then is happy when he finds a still functioning Atari under the tree. Kluber is coming off a 10-10 , 4.34 ERA year with the Rays. That is definitely ham and egger territory. Like the old grey mare, he ain't what he used to be.

 

He's only 10M so there's room for more moves. His 3 fWAR would have been the best on last season's team by a country mile. No Sox starter even had 2 fWAR last year. He limits hard contact and doesn't walk a lot of guys. This doesn't win them the East or even push them into playoff contention, but at least it's a move that goes towards fixing a question mark. The rotation still won't be great, but it will be much better with him in it than without.

[moonslav59]

He's only 10M so there's room for more moves. His 3 fWAR would have been the best on last season's team by a country mile. No Sox starter even had 2 fWAR last year. He limits hard contact and doesn't walk a lot of guys. This doesn't win them the East or even push them into playoff contention, but at least it's a move that goes towards fixing a question mark. The rotation still won't be great, but it will be much better with him in it than without.

 

As much as things went wrong in 2022, we finished 8 games out of the last WC slot with 3 teams between us and the Rays- BAL, CWS and MN. I'm not sure how much better those 4 teams will be in 2023, but I think we are already a playoff contender. Adding a SS and another pitchers might make us odds on to make it, and apparently any team that makes it can win it all.

[moonslav59]

Okay. I'm not getting the excitement about signing Kluber. It's like the kid who thought Santa forgot him , then is happy when he finds a still functioning Atari under the tree. Kluber is coming off a 10-10 , 4.34 ERA year with the Rays. That is definitely ham and egger territory. Like the old grey mare, he ain't what he used to be.

 

Not great, but he's being asked to replace the 8-7 4.27 Hill, who is actually 5 years older than Kluber.

 

Kluber ranked 38th in fWAR, which would make him a solid #2 SP'er were he to repeat 2022 in 2023.

 

It's nit what many of us hoped for, but it's a big step forward in an actual area of high need.

Edited December 28, 2022 by moonslav59

[dgalehouse]

Not great, but he's being asked to replace the 8-7 4.27 Hill, who is actually 5 years older than Kluber.

 

That is kind of deceptive. I could say he is replacing Eovaldi or Wacha . In that case , the numbers would not look as favorable.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

As much as things went wrong in 2022, we finished 8 games out of the last WC slot with 3 teams between us and the Rays- BAL, CWS and MN. I'm not sure how much better those 4 teams will be in 2023, but I think we are already a playoff contender. Adding a SS and another pitchers might make us odds on to make it, and apparently any team that makes it can win it all.

 

My beer mug is also half-full, but only because I had to chug half after looking at a rotation of past-their-primetimers and converted surgery comebackers.

 

I'd argue that they're still a last-place AL East team even if they add Wacha, who was just plain better than Kluber last year... but of course, Klubes, 36, at $10M is a lot better value than Wacha, 30, for $30M -- which he's surely anticipating, at least, for a three-year deal in this market. Wacha deserves it, anyway, after leading the AL in shutouts (1).

[Old Red]

Okay. I'm not getting the excitement about signing Kluber. It's like the kid who thought Santa forgot him , then is happy when he finds a still functioning Atari under the tree. Kluber is coming off a 10-10 , 4.34 ERA year with the Rays. That is definitely ham and egger territory. Like the old grey mare, he ain't what he used to be.

Agree, and losing Evol, and Wacha, and being replaced by Kluber does not make them better. As a replacement for Hill maybe.

[Tedballgame]

The Corey Kluber from 5 years ago would be a great signing. This version, not so much. He won't put up better numbers than Wacha did.

[Hugh2]

I mean, the Sox finally went out and signed the best free agent available. From a certain point of view, I call that a success.

[moonslav59]

Agree, and losing Evol, and Wacha, and being replaced by Kluber does not make them better. As a replacement for Hill maybe.

 

It's not just adding Kluber. They've committed to Whitlock as a SP'er and bulked up the pen to more than make up for his loss from there.

 

Bello is expected to make 20 more starts. While we don't know how good he will do in 2023, we also don't know how bringing Nate and Wacha back would work out either.

 

What about the 31 GSd by Crawford, Wink and Seabold at a 6.23 ERA being replaced along with Nate, Wacha and Hill?

 

Our rotation should be better in 2023 than it was in 2022. It's speculation, but so would having deGrom or Rodon.

[Bellhorn04]

The Corey Kluber from 5 years ago would be a great signing. This version, not so much. He won't put up better numbers than Wacha did.

 

I think there's a good chance he will. His peripherals were better than Wacha's and he also pitched more innings.

[Tedballgame]

I mean, the Sox finally went out and signed the best free agent available. From a certain point of view, I call that a success.

 

That's a success at the start of free agency, not after everything has been picked over.

[mvp 78]

As much as things went wrong in 2022, we finished 8 games out of the last WC slot with 3 teams between us and the Rays- BAL, CWS and MN. I'm not sure how much better those 4 teams will be in 2023, but I think we are already a playoff contender. Adding a SS and another pitchers might make us odds on to make it, and apparently any team that makes it can win it all.

 

If Sale, Story, Kiké and Kluber are healthy for the full season, the team should be closer to contention than last year unless they dip out and trade Devers.

[mvp 78]

Agree, and losing Evol, and Wacha, and being replaced by Kluber does not make them better. As a replacement for Hill maybe.

 

Kluber is better than Eovaldi, Wacha or Hill. Is he better than two of them combined?