Texas Rangers Acquiring Two-Time Cy Young Award Winner Corey Kluber

The Texas Rangers are making their first big splash of the offseason by bolstering a good rotation with an even better right hander in Corey Kluber.

The Cleveland Indians have been trying to ship Corey Kluber out for several seasons now, and they finally have their trade partner. The Texas Rangers jumped into the Kluber sweepstakes late Saturday night, and Jon Daniels put the pedal to the metal. Much like the Angels did with Rendon, the Rangers needed to make a splash and did so in a big way by acquiring Kluber per reports from numerous outlets.

In Kluber, the Rangers are adding a two-time Cy Young Award winner, a three-time all star, and a bonafide ace for their rotation. He is going to add much need stability to the rotation that, behind Minor and Lynn, suffered tremendously. Minor and Lynn pitched to a combined 3.63 ERA and had a total record of 30-21. Comparatively, the rest of the rotation in 2019 pitched to a 15-39 record with an ERA of 7.22. Keep in mind that Minor and Lynn also threw over half of the rotation’s innings in 2019.

Kluber is owed $17.5 million in 2020, and with the trade will receive a $1 million kicker from the Rangers, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Kluber also has an $18 million dollar option for 2021, which will turn into a vesting option for him due to the trade. The option will become guaranteed only if he can stay off of the I.L. at season’s end and pitches at least 160 innings in 2020 which Texas will be expecting after grabbing the veteran righty.

Right-handed flame thrower Emmanuel Clase and speedster Delino DeShields will be headed back to Cleveland. This signals a turning point in the Rangers offseason, as the blaze that set Globe Life Field in flames apparently also lit a fire under Jon Daniels’ feet. We might can expect the Rangers to be very aggressive in the upcoming months.