Report: Yankees, Kluber finalizing 1-year, $11M contract
The Klubot is Bronx-bound.
The New York Yankees are finalizing a contract with two-time American League Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
It's a one-year, $11-million pact, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Completion of the deal is reportedly pending the results of a physical.
A shoulder injury - the latest in a string of ailments for the 34-year-old over the last two seasons - limited Kluber to just one inning for the Texas Rangers in 2020. He threw 30 pitches in a showcase for around 25 teams earlier this week.
#Yankees always had a HUGE edge in knowledge with Kluber. Eric Cressey is overseeing Kluber’s rehab from a shoulder injury that kept him to 1GS last yr and Cressey is also the #Yankees director of health and performance.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) January 16, 2021
Before the rash of injuries, Kluber was one of the most dominant and durable starters in the AL over a five-year run with the Cleveland Indians. From 2014 to 2018, he averaged 218 innings and 246 strikeouts per season, winning the Cy Young in 2014 and 2017. He helped Cleveland to the 2016 AL pennant with a brilliant postseason performance.
Kluber will try to revitalize his career in New York as part of a solid rotation that may need to offset the potential loss of Masahiro Tanaka.
The Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, and New York Mets were among the other teams that had an interest in Kluber and attended his showcase. Minnesota also offered him a contract but came up short, KSTP's Darren Wolfson reports.
Kluber's deal caps off a busy Friday for the Yankees. Earlier in the day, they reportedly agreed to re-sign star infielder DJ LeMahieu on a six-year, $90-million deal.