After a relatively dormant offseason, the Boston Red Sox woke up and made a move on Thursday. The Red Sox signed a former American League Cy Young Award winner to help shore up their rotation.
Corey Kluber signed with the Red Sox on Thursday and will remain in the AL East Division. Kluber, 36, joins Boston after he spent the last two seasons in the division with rival clubs. The two-time Cy Young winner (2014, 2017) signed a one-year contract with the club that includes an option for 2024. He pitched for the New York Yankees in 2021 and the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022, so there’s significant familiarity for him in the AL East.
ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan tweeted about Boston’s free-agent signing on Wednesday afternoon. Passan said, “Right-hander Corey Kluber and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a one-year contract with a club option for 2024, sources familiar with the agreement tell ESPN.”
Last season, Kluber posted a 4.34 ERA and a 4.00 FIP in 164.0 innings pitched. His ERA was up from a 3.83 mark he posted with the Yankees the previous season. Kluber’s peripherals were about the same, which might suggest the veteran hurler was a touch unlucky last season with the Rays.
Boston is betting that Kluber bounces back and helps contribute to a team that is in need of a jolt. In recent days, the team officially lost both Nathan Eovaldi and Rich Hill to other MLB clubs. Eovaldi signed with the Texas Rangers while Hill joined the Pittsburgh Pirates. What’s more, ace Chris Sale has drawn legitimate trade interest from other clubs.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022