In case you missed it, the New York Post is reporting HERE that the Yankees and the Mets are both scouting Corey Kluber. The Mets are after everyone this winter so I guess I should not be surprised but
Kluber is trying to rebound from two injury plagued seasons. He's a gamble even if the Yankees can get him at a cheaper deal, I guess the Yankees are embracing the "low risk, possible high reward" mentality here. I know that Hal Steinbrenner is working on a self imposed tight budget this season but....what about other options?
The Yankees must be interested in the connection between pitching coach Matt Blake and Kluber who was with Kluber his last four seasons in Cleveland. Maybe Blake thinks he could rehab him and get him back to his old form. If he is healthy like the scouts say, that would definitely get the Yankees attention.
The Yankees have had more then their fair share of injuries over the years, so Kluber's injury history does concern me. After Gerrit Cole we have a lot of question marks right now unless we do re-sign Masahiro Tanaka which I am not counting on. I'm not sure if putting another question mark in the rotation is the best move.
It's been a while since the Yankees and Mets had a good competition on or off the field. This winter the Mets are in on everyone but honestly I wouldn't be extremely disappointed if the Mets signed Kluber instead of us.
Hit me with some more pitching rumors though, please. Come on Yankees....we NEED it!
Jeans, your articles are always the best! I always enjoy reading your views. In this particular case, I would counter your ani Klubot sentiment with a couple of factors to consider.
ReplyDelete1. Cashman let Texas deal Lance Lynn early on this off-season. Was he the most realistic trade target on a relatively affordable one-year deal? Seemed like he would have been a good fit for New York but is he really a legit #2 starter in a playoff game? I'd contend, not so much? He is an innings eater though.
Trevor Bauer, who is a legit #1 or #2 SP in a playoff game & is also a serious innings eater is too expensive for the Yankees! I can't even believe I just wrote that but it's true. The Yankees can't afford this guy.
Tanaka isn't what he once was. His skills are fading, he gives up a ton of home runs & his playoff mystique and aura seem to have diminished considerably.
The Yankees injury issues border on ridiculous. Adding another injury prone player, to your point, doesn't seem prudent. On this I totally agree with you.
However, the Yankees appear to have a tremendous amount of insight into Kluber's medicals and there's a lot of history there with Blake & Cressey.
Also, Kluber's pedigree, prior to injuries that caused him to miss one and a quarter normal seasons, indicate that when healthy he is an elite pitcher.
That's what the Yankees really need. Bauer represents the only other elite pitcher available and he certainly had a good 2 month season last year but is he really worth the kind of money that it would take to sign him versus opting for Kluber who seems like he would be a lot better personality fit and have a much higher upside.
Bauer meanwhile, is a well-documented high-maintenance marching to his own drum beat type individual. He's extremely healthy however he has a lot of mileage on his arm and He's never put up ace level numbers for an entire season. I don't think we can count last year as a guarantee that he's going to have a ERA under 2.00 after a full major league season. And if things start going poorly for him, does he come unraveled in a big market under the microscope?
Frankly I don't think Bauer is a fit, but again it's a moot point because the Yankees can't afford him.
Short of a blockbuster trade which would cost the Yankees dearly, signing Kluber seems like a great move.
The Yankees have German coming back also, in addition to Monty & Devi - not to mention Nick Nelson, Miguel Yajure & Clarke Schmidt. There are plenty of #3-4-5-6 arms already under team control.
If Cashman wants to win a World Series, something he hasn't done in 11 years now, The Yankees need a second Ace. NY has everything to gain an absolutely nothing to lose by rolling the dice on Kluber.
Plus, the X-Factor might also be Luis Severino come play off time.
Imagine if Sevy is able to return to form by then & the Yankees succeed in landing Kluber & rehabbing him? Cole, Kluber, Sevy, German & Monty? That's a pretty nice best case scenario that absolutely makes the Yankees extremely formidable.