Toronto Blue Jays Free Agent Target: Corey Kluber

By Jeremy Wilks | Jan 15, 2021

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 26: Corey Kluber (28) of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Colorado Rockies in the top of the first inning at Globe Life Field on July 26, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

The Toronto Blue Jays are in the market for a starting pitcher. One that has gone completely under the radar is former Cy Young award winner, Corey Kluber.

I know it sounds like a broken record, but the Blue Jays need to somehow improve their starting rotation. Whether it is through free agency, or via trade, the Blue Jays must improve their rotation that finished near the bottom in almost every statistical category. One arm that the Jays should do their due diligence on is 3x all-star, Corey Kluber.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN:

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

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It seems long forgotten how good Corey Kluber was throughout his career and just a few years ago. However, Kluber did not exactly dominate the second he got up to the big leagues. Kluber made his MLB debut in 2011 where he struggled in his first couple of years.

Something changed in 2014 as Kluber put together a Cy Young season finishing with an outstanding 18-9 record and a 2.44 ERA.

Fast forward to 2016 and 2017, Kluber finished top three in Cy Young voting (first in 2016) both of those years and helped lead the Cleveland Indians to a World Series appearance in 2016.

His last full season in 2018 was another spectacular one where he once again finished top three in Cy Young voting and a 20-7 record with a 2.89 ERA.

One part of his game that the Jays can benefit dearly from is the number of innings he puts up consistently. Throughout the years listed above (2014-2018), Kluber threw for over 200 innings in each of these seasons! In fact, if we take a look at the number of innings Kluber has pitched throughout his career, we find that he averages 221 IP per season.

The one problem that baseball fans are well aware of is his injury woes. Kluber has missed essentially all of the past two seasons due to a multitude of injuries. Not only are his injuries a concern, but now his age as well. At age 34, it is uncertain what the future holds for the multiple Cy Young award winner. Nonetheless, he could be a viable option for a Blue Jays rotation that has several question marks.

Next. Blue Jays have checked in on Kris Bryant. dark

Should the Blue Jays try to sign Corey Kluber?

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