Corey Kluber, a free agent right-handed starter, and the Boston Red Sox have reached an agreement on a one-year deal with a club option for 2024. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Kluber is anticipated to make $10 million guaranteed in 2023 with a potential additional $11 million in 2024. He received $11 million the year before and $8 million the previous season. Both contracts had a one-year term.
Next April will mark the 37th birthday of former Cy Young Award winner Kluber, who has previously played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays of the American League East. In the past two years, he has made a total of 47 starts, compiling a 4.17 ERA (92 ERA+) and a 4.09 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He threw 164 innings in 2022, which was a career high.
Naturally, Kluber had a successful early career while playing with the now-defunct Cleveland Guardians. He received downballot consideration in 2015, 2016, and 2018, and he won the Cy Young Award in both 2014 and 2017. He participated in three All-Star Games and won the ERA title along the way. However, his performance and availability have declined recently as he pitched only 80 innings in 2021 and missed practically all of the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
The starter will join a reorganized Red Sox rotation in the following spring. Rich Hill and Nathan Eovaldi have already left Boston due to free agency, and Michael Wacha might follow in the coming weeks. So, along with Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta, James Paxton, Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck, Kluber is anticipated to form a starting five.
The Red Sox have lost the aforementioned starters, along with shortstop Xander Bogaerts and DH J.D. Martinez, as part of what has turned out to be a pricey winter. Kluber joins a group of incoming players that also includes Justin Turner, Masataka Yoshida, Kenley Jansen, and Chris Martin.
