Scorching Hot Takes with @sportsyelling and @BrutalStephanie – WFNY Podcast – 2015-04-04
April 4, 2015Indians extend Corey Kluber for up to seven years
April 4, 2015Corey Kluber’s future with the Cleveland Indians has been a hot topic ever since he surprised the baseball world and won the 2014 American League Cy Young award. The Tribe team has a history of trading away Cy Young winners, so his contract status been a nerve-wracking topic for some fans.
FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported on Saturday afternoon that talks between the Indians and Kluber are “progressing.” Just on Thursday, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman shared that the two sides are in contact, but chances for an extension are said to be “less than great.” So Rosenthal’s update appears to be slightly encouraging for a long-term deal.
Kluber, who turns 29 next week, only has pitched the equivalent of two full major league seasons. That means he’s under team control through the 2018 season. He’ll turn 33 at the beginning of the 2019 campaign. This was his final year of pre-arbitration status and the Indians awarded him with an unknown salary bump over the MLB minimum.
By contrast, Felix Hernandez, the close second-place finisher in the AL Cy Young vote, has pitched nine full seasons and is actually two days younger than Kluber. Seattle will be paying Hernandez about $107 million over the next five seasons.
Stay tuned here to see if the Indians and Kluber do reach a deal. As of now, it would seem unnecessary. The Indians want to minimize the risk of guaranteeing massive amounts of money to a player with a recent huge jump in innings pitched. I’m really hoping Kluber can stay healthy this season. If I were the Indians, I’d want to see that he can be consistent and productive for another full season.
As of now, the Indians don’t owe any future money to Kluber. It’ll be fascinating to see if they do add to their several other long-term guarantees with a deal before the season begins. I’d doubt negotiations continue during the season. That’d be rare for this franchise.
Related WFNY links:
In search of Corey Kluber’s smile
I will never complain about a Corey Kluber extension
Yan Gomes, Michael Brantley and Corey Kluber among Grantland’s most valuable
My Cleveland Sportsman of the Year: Corey Kluber