Philadelphia Phillies: Is 2x Cy Young winner Corey Kluber worth the risk?

Could Corey Kluber be the ultimate bounce-back signing for the Philadelphia Phillies?

With Jake Arrieta and his $20 million salary set to finally come off the books this winter, the Philadelphia Phillies are in a position where they can once more look to add to their starting rotation. Signing Zack Wheeler turned out to be a wonderful decision, and Zach Eflin showed just enough towards the end of last season to warrant at least one more year in the team’s rotation.

It’s hard to imagine the team targets one of the big fish like Trevor Bauer or Marcus Stroman, but making a play at a “bounce-back” type veteran could totally be in the cards. The Phillies could use a reliable option at their SP3 spot, and snagging a vet on a 1-2 year deal makes a lot of sense.

There’s plenty of veteran starters to choose from this offseason, with names like Cole Hamels and Charlie Morton spearheading the list. However, a 2x Cy Young winner and 3x All-Star just found himself available on the open market as well.

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Corey Kluber had his 2021 club option declined by the Texas Rangers following a season where he only pitching one inning. The Rangers have reportedly expressed interest in re-signing Kluber to a less expensive deal this offseason, but the veteran right-hander will have an opportunity to test the open market first.

Kluber has experienced season-ending injuries in each of his last two seasons, fracturing his arm in 2019 and then tearing a muscle in his shoulder in 2020. However, prior to his recent slew of injuries, Kluber was arguably the best pitcher in the American League. He won the Cy Young in 2014 and 2017, was selected to three All-Star games, led the entire MLB with a 2.25 ERA in 2017, and consistently ranked towards the top of the AL in shutouts, complete games, FIP, WHIP, and ERA+.

Peaking in his early 30s, Kluber was on track to solidly himself as a potential Hall of Famer if he could snag himself a World Series ring or two.

The recent injuries have set him back big time, however, and it’s hard to imagine that Kluber still possesses that same level of ability at this stage in his pitching career. He turns 35 years old in April, and his velocity will likely start decreasing heavily after his most recent shoulder tear.

With that said, Kluber is still a well-decorated starting pitcher who has played at the highest of levels. His recent injury woes will likely see his asking price dip way down, which in all honestly is good news for a team like the Philadelphia Phillies who are expected to slash payroll. While it’s unlikely that he’ll ever return to “Ace” form ever again, taking a 1-2 year flier on a guy like Kluber could prove worthwhile if he can just get back to middle-of-the-rotation status.

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Even with Kluber’s asking price expected to be low, I don’t inherently believe this is a guy the Philadelphia Phillies will end up targeting. Like mentioned earlier in the week when discussing Charlie Morton, it feels like the Phillies front office is content with punting away the 2021 season and gearing up for 2022 once revenue returns to normal. It’s hard to imagine the team forking over money to a 35 year old starter coming off injury when they can’t even figure out how to pay JT Realmuto or Didi Gregorius.

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