The two-time Cy Young award (2014 and 2017) winner and two-time third-place finisher ( 2016 and 2018) struggled last season to a 2-3 record with an ERA nearly six in seven starts before his season ended after being struck by a line drive in May.
Kluber turns 34 in April and is signed for the 2020 season with the Rangers now holding a team option for 2021.
The return was surprisingly small for a pitcher that won the Cy Young just two years ago and despite the injury issues (Kluber is expected to have a full recovery and be ready for the spring) with those terrible 2019 stats, I thought Cleveland would add a little more than a reliever and yet another journeyman outfielder for Kluber.
Many in baseball are high on pitcher Emmanuel Clase, who pitched for Down East (High A) and Frisco (AA) before a callup to the Rangers where he would make 21 appearances with a record of 2-3 with a save to pair with an ERA of 2.31.
Clase struck out 21 in 23 innings with Texas and is reported to throw a cutter at 101 MPH with some comparing it to that of Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera.
That is a very high level to reach and although the K-IP ratio is impressive, you would think with the reported stuff that Clase has the strikeouts would be even higher.
Clase turns 22 before spring training and if you assume that Clase is a safe bet to continue his performance, which is never an easy assumption to make when you consider relievers, Cleveland will have six years of a controllable cost-fixed asset.
I have also read of Clase possibly having the ability to stretch out and eventually becoming a starter.
Clase did make one start for the Rangers last season, but pitched one inning as the "opener".
As if the Indians didn't have enough light-hitting outfielders, they added another in this trade as the Indians received outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. as the other part of the trade.
DeShields hit .249 with four homers and 32 RBI in 357 at-bats to go along with 24 steals last season for Texas.
DeShields is a plus defender, but when you look at the Indians outfielders currently on the roster, they are filled with similar players such as Greg Allen, Tyler Naquin, and the returning Bradley Zimmer.
I'm just not seeing the need for DeShields unless the plan is to move one of the other outfielders or even flip DeShields in a trade.
On the overall, one has to like the upside of Emmanuel Clase and the contract helps as well.
However, relievers are so difficult to count on from season to season and with DeShields being only a journeyman type, the Indians are putting all their hopes on Clase as their return for Corey Kluber.
The return doesn't seem enough for me (Clase is fine, but I would have preferred a minor leaguer with a chance to develop than another outfielder) and it seems like Cleveland was (once again) in salary dump mode.
Still, Kluber comes with many questions and we could look back at the trade with Clase as a top reliever as an excellent return for an aging pitcher.
Grading the trade now, I give the slight edge to Texas, but there is a chance that the Indians could swing the trade their way, so it's not a lopsided trade.
Back next time with the Browns disappointing effort in Arizona.
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