Earlier this week free agent and two-time Cy Young award winner Corey Kluber showcased himself for interested teams at the Florida training facility where he works out in the offseason. Injuries limited Kluber to one inning last year and 36 2/3 innings the last two years combined. Some injuries (a shoulder injury in 2020) are more worrisome than others (comebacker broke his forearm in 2019).
Upward of two dozen teams attended Kluber's workout and, by all accounts, scouts came away impressed. He showed good velocity on his fastball and good spin on his breaking pitches. Kluber looked so good that he could sign as soon as this weekend, and won't have to schedule a second throwing session for scouts.
The bidding on Corey Kluber is moving quickly and will likely reach a conclusion by this weekend. The two-time Cy Young Award winner threw for scouts Wednesday, in a session that went well.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 14, 2021
Kluber, 35 in April, is looking at a one-year "prove yourself" contract given his age and recent injury history. In 2018, his last full and healthy season, he threw an AL-leading 215 innings with a 2.89 ERA, and finished third in the Cy Young voting. The last two years didn't go well (27 runs in 36 2/3 innings), and that's why he's only looking at a one-year contract.
Last offseason Rich Hill, a similar highly regarded veteran with a scary injury history, received a one-year contract worth $3 million guaranteed, with incentives tied to starts and innings that could've pushed the total value to $12.5 million. Kluber is likely looking at a similar contract. A low base salary with incentives that could push the total value perhaps close to the $18 million he would've earned in 2021 had the Rangers picked up his club option.
For what it's worth, FanGraphs projections have Kluber (2.5 WAR) as the third best unsigned free agent starter, behind only Trevor Bauer (3.8 WAR) and Masahiro Tanaka (2.9 WAR). Those projections are based in part on good health and a return to form, which is a risky proposition. Still, it shows Kluber's upside. He has pedigree and ability, and some team will gamble on it.
With that in mind, here are the 10 teams that could most use Kluber in 2021, ranked in order of how well he fits their needs and how well they fit what he's likely seeking (chance to win, opportunity to claim a rotation spot and reestablish himself, etc.).
| 1 |  |
| The rotation behind Gerrit Cole is a giant question mark, and while Kluber is hardly a sure thing at this point in his career, he would allow the Yankees to hedge against youngsters like Clarke Schmidt and Michael King. At worst, Kluber would help hold down the fort until Luis Severino returns from Tommy John surgery at midseason. It's worth noting the Yankees could have the inside track on signing Kluber. Eric Cressey, who owns the Florida facility where Kluber trains and held his showcase, runs the team's strength and conditioning department, and pitching coach Matt Blake overlapped with Kluber in Cleveland, when he was part of the club's pitching development group. | |
| 2 |  |
| The Angels badly need pitching help and not just an innings-eater. They need impact, and few free agents offer as much upside as Kluber. A one-year deal to knock Jaime Barria and Patrick Sandoval down a peg on the depth chart, and to hedge against Shohei Ohtani's health, makes a world of sense. Is Kluber willing to move to the other coast and play for a team that is not a clear-cut contender? Unclear, but the fit on the team's side is pretty obvious. | |
| 3 |  |
| Kluber makes his home in Massachusetts and the Red Sox certainly need more pitching. Eduardo Rodriguez, who is coming back from a heart ailment stemming from COVID-19, and Nathan Eovaldi are the team's only established MLB starters, and Chris Sale is not due back from Tommy John surgery at midseason. The Red Sox probably aren't as bad as they were last year, but they do need pitching, and Kluber would get to play close to home. | |
| 4 |  |
| The Rays traded Blake Snell and declined Charlie Morton's option, so the rotation is unsettled behind Tyler Glasnow and Ryan Yarbrough (and I guess Michael Wacha). Tampa reportedly has some money to spend and they're a premier pitching organization. Any free agent starter looking to rebuild value would be smart to explore a deal with the Rays, including someone with Kluber's pedigree. | |
| 5 |  |
| Is it just me, or are the Blue Jays having trouble finding players to take their money this offseason? They seem to be on everyone (George Springer, DJ LeMahieu, etc.), and yet their only signing to date is Robbie Ray. Hmmm. Toronto has good depth behind Hyun-Jin Ryu (Ray, Tanner Roark, Ross Stripling, etc.), though that can always be improved, and there are worse veterans to mentor top prospect Nate Pearson. | |
| 6 |  |
| It has been a quiet offseason for the Twins to date. Kenta Maeda and Jose Berrios are a great 1-2 punch, then things get a little muddled from there. Randy Dobnak, Michael Pineda, and Devin Smeltzer are decent options but not pitchers who should stand in the way of upgrades. Minnesota wouldn't need Kluber to lead the rotation and could instead slot him into a lower-pressure role behind Maeda and Berrios. | |
| 7 |  |
| The front three is very good (Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Zach Eflin) and top prospect Spencer Howard deserves an extended look in the rotation in 2021. The other rotation spot is up in the air. Do the Phillies really want to go with Vince Velasquez again? Are either Adonis Medina and JoJo Romero the answer? I know the Phillies are focused on re-signing J.T. Realmuto, but they do need another starter, and rolling the dice with Kluber makes sense. | |
| 8 |  |
| One thing is certain: The Nationals don't need an ace. Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin take care of that. Joe Ross will return next year after opting out of 2020, and Erick Fedde remains as an underwhelming fifth starter candidate. Slotting Kluber in behind that top three is awfully appealing. Washington has already brought in two bounce-back candidates on offense (Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber). Kluber represents a bounce-back candidate for the rotation. | |
| 9 |  |
| The Cardinals have done nothing this offseason. Literally nothing. They are the only team in baseball to not add a player to their 40-man roster from outside the organization this winter. They have a good amount of rotation depth with more in the minors, though adding Kluber would be awfully tempting, and there are enough questions about the health of Carlos Martinez and Miles Mikolas to warrant adding an arm. | |
| 10 |  |
| Hey, why not? The Carlos Carrasco trade and Marcus Stroman accepting the qualifying offer gives the Mets a formidable top three with ace Jacob deGrom. Steven Matz, David Peterson, and Seth Lugo represent other rotation options. If you're the Mets though, and you're trying to win and your owner is throwing money around, why not bring in Kluber? It's almost all upside and he'd push Lugo and Matz into the bullpen, where they likely fit best at this point in their careers. | |
