In the latest Corey Kluber news, the free agent held a workout Tuesday to showcase his progress to interested teams. Approximately 60 scouts from 25 different teams appeared to watch Kluber, who is entering his age-35 season, throw 30 pitches at the Cressey Sports Performance facility in Florida. The general consensus is that Kluber impressed the scouts on hand.
His fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range Tuesday, but Jeff Passan of ESPN notes that his velocity should increase as he builds towards Spring Training. This was his fourth bullpen so far, and his velocity typically sits in that range this time of year. In addition to his fastball, Kluber showcased all of his off-speed pitches.
Although Kluber is a two-time Cy Young award winner, he has made eight starts in the previous two seasons. In 2020, he threw one inning before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Still, he is expected to have a strong market. With teams operating on tight budgets after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he presents a great low-risk, high-reward option.
Nearly 25 teams showed up at Corey Kluber's showcase today, and scouts came away impressed. His fastball sat 88-90 — and he's got more velocity in the tank as he builds toward spring training. Kluber threw 30 pitches, including all of his off-speed stuff. Strong market expected.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2021
Interested Teams
A bevy of teams are in need of starting pitching help. According to reports, the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Pirates, Twins, Nationals, Diamondbacks, Tigers, Rays, Rangers, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Indians were among the teams in attendance.
One team that makes a lot of sense for Kluber is the New York Yankees. Three of their starting pitchers from 2020 are currently free agents, and they need to add veteran depth behind Gerrit Cole. There is more to the Yankees interest than just need. Eric Cressey, who owns the facility where Kluber threw, has worked with him for several offseasons and throughout his rehab. Cressey has served as the Yankees’ director of health and performance for one year.
Additionally, Matt Blake, the Yankees’ pitching coach, worked with Kluber when he was with the Cleveland Indians.
Joel Sherman of the NY Post also mentions that the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels, and Minnesota Twins have personnel with connections to Kluber.
The Boston Red Sox have shown a strong interest in Kluber all throughout the offseason, and he is believed to be one of their top targets along with Jake Odorizzi. Kluber lives in Massachusetts during the offseason.
There is no time table as to when he will sign. However, in an offseason that has been pedestrian, Tuesday’s Corey Kluber news points to possible action in the near future.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
