While the big-name was previously Trevor Bauer, the Yankees aren’t expected to be offering significant money this off-season. With their financials being ravaged by COVID-19, the hope is that 2021 is a lucrative season and gives them the capital to continue spending in 2022.
Kluber offers a more realistic option behind Cole, and he could be revitalized to his previous form with a change of scenery. Kluber pitched just 1.0 innings in 2020 due to a Grade 2 teres major strain.
If the injury is, in fact, behind him, the Yankees could land him on a cheaper contract than Tanaka and possibly get exponential value.
Taking a look at his last productive season in 2018,
Kluber pitched 215.0 innings, earning a 2.89 ERA with a 44.4% ground ball rate, a category he’s very consistent in. He struck out 9.29 batters per nine, but his 2019 season was also influenced by injuries. Over the past two years, Corey has only played in 36.2 innings, but similar to Luis Severino, the Yankees could still have confidence in his abilities. Considering prior to his 2019 campaign, he was one of the best pitchers in the MLB and represented a massive upgrade, taking a flier on him is a high-risk, high reward move.
Kluber did see a decrease in velocity the past two seasons over a small sample size, but nothing significant compared to the 2018 season. His primary pitcher are his cutter, sinker, and slider. He’s not a fastball pitcher, utilizing offspeed pitches that hover in the high 90s and mid-80s to confuse batters.
Personally, I think Kluber could be a fantastic option for the Yankees if he’s willing to settle for less than $15 million per season.
Again, I believe the Yankees could benefit from a contract with Kluber on a short-term deal, but there is still interest in bringing back Tanaka. If they can resurrect Kluber’s past performances, he could be a perfect option for a team that tends to invest in injury-prone stop-gap players like James Paxton.
