The Red Sox Finally Make A Huge Free Agency Splash! Just Kidding, It's Corey Kluber.
The Boston Red Sox are an absolute dumpster fire right now, but don't worry, 36-year-old Corey Kluber is en route to save the day!
The Red Sox and Kluber agreed to a one-year deal Wednesday worth $10 million with a club option for 2024, according to multiple reports.
The move comes a little over a week after the team let shortstop Xander Bogaerts leave for greener pastures in San Diego, and during a time of absolute mayhem in Boston.
Four years after their 2018 World Series championship, the Sox have pretty much dismantled every remaining part of that roster.
JD Martinez signed with the Dodgers last week, joining former Red Sox star Mookie Betts, while Bogaerts left for the Padres and Nathan Eovaldi recently signed with the Texas Rangers.
Meanwhile, the Sox are left with Chris Sale - who has spent pretty much every waking moment of the past three seasons on the IL - and star Rafael Devers, who the team STILL hasn't extended.
Sale, by the way, is reportedly garnering trade interest from around the league and the team is "willing to listen."
Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom should probably do more than just "listen" to any team willing to take Chris Sale, but, given his recent track record, probably won't.
Corey Kluber looking to find his fastball in Boston. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Corey Kluber looking to save the day in Boston
Anyway, that's neither here nor there ... we're here to talk some Corey Kluber!
Kluber, 36, will be looking to somewhat resurrect his career in Boston after spending last season with the team the Sox are for some reason trying to copy: the Tampa Bay Rays.
The two-time Cy Young award winner posted a 4.34 ERA in Tampa last year, but did have the second-best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the league (139-21).
That's the good news.
The bad news, however, is that Kluber's fastball velocity ranked 43rd among 45 qualified starters. Not great!
Assuming Sale doesn't get dealt and actually plays, Kluber will join a rotation that includes him, Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock. Rookie right-hander Brayan Bello will also be in the mix, if that gets anyone's juices flowing.
"So good, so good, so good!"