Coming off a third straight sub-.500 season, the Rangers spent a good portion of last winter trying to build a high-end rotation capable of pitching them to the playoffs in 2020. The plan hasn’t worked for the Rangers, one of the AL’s worst teams.
Aside from Lance Lynn, who’s amid his second straight quality season, no one from the Rangers’ season-opening staff has provided much. Mike Minor’s no longer on the team, having struggled before the Rangers traded him to the division-rival Athletics before the Aug. 31 deadline, while offseason pickups Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles have put up terrible numbers. For the Rangers’ rotation, though, there was no bigger addition than two-time AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, whom they acquired from the Indians in December.
While he came to the Rangers as a two-time AL Cy Young winner, Kluber was fresh off an injury-shortened season in which his production took a sharp turn for the worse. The Rangers were hoping he’d rebound, but it didn’t happen in 2020, as Kluber threw just one inning (back on July 26) before succumbing to a Grade 2 tear of the teres major muscle in his right shoulder.
Kluber won’t return this year, and as someone who could reach free agency in the offseason, it’s possible his Rangers tenure is over. However, it seems the club would like him back, as TR Sullivan of MLB.com tweets that general manager Jon Daniels said Tuesday the team approached Kluber about a revised contract worth less than the value of the hurler’s 2021 option.
Kluber’s upcoming option is valued at $18MM, but the Rangers could instead buy him out for $1MM and let him head to free agency after two straight rough years. Otherwise, Kluber could try to rebuild his stock on a Texas team whose rotation will be a major question mark going into next season. There’s no guarantee Lynn will stick around, as he could fetch the team a decent return in a trade, while it’ll be hard to count on Gibson and Lyles a year from now. Furthermore, no one else Texas has started has stepped up to claim a spot, so it could make sense for the club to keep Kluber around at a discount rate if he’s willing to accept a salary to their liking.
I doubt Texas is the only team that wants Kluber at a discount.
Agreed. Boston certainly needs MLB starters. Like I said regarding JBJ, let him test free agency which is his right and also let him know you’re interested in bringing him back.
Boston could definitely use him, but I’d imagine he wants to play for a contender with openings like the Twins, Angels, Yankees, Braves, etc.
You just called the Angels a contender
Other teams might like a starter on the cheap that might become a valuable asset? Since when?
The new rangers font on the front of their jerseys is ass terrible. It looks cheap and doesn’t match the style on the back of their jerseys.
He should test free agency, teams will be lining up to give him a one year pillow deal, no need for him to take a huge discount to stay especially if the Rangers are going into a rebuild.
But it isn’t his choice.
It is if they decline the option
Well, they’re not picking up the option so it will be his choice.
Only if he has the power of free will in his free agency.
It might be that his wife has a big say in where he will go
I want to see Kluber back, and I’d like to see Lynn traded for something worth-while. Another thing JD said was that he didn’t want to sign any veterans to block the young guys. I expect Odor to finally be traded (especially if he builds off his 3 homers in three consecutive games he has going right now). I’d like to see the Odor/Eovaldi deal go through, because I think Rougie would crush with the short porch in Boston, plus Eovaldi would line up well in our rotation. If we keep Lynn, I want our rotation to look like this:
Lynn
Kluber
Eovaldi
Gibson
Allard
Move Lyles to the pen or eat crow and release him. He is the worst pitcher I have ever seen. Gibson is bearable, and I think he could get better. I’d like to see us sign Ozuna since he wouldn’t be blocking any prospects, and then move Solak to 2nd and Calhoun to DH. I have hope that we could field a competitive team while letting young guys play, but IDK if that’s what ownership wants.
I can’t see Boston willing to trade Eovaldi for Odor. Boston is hurting for pitching themselves and Odor has been horrible.
I agree with CLKR that Kluber will have other teams interested in him at a discount or an incentive laden contract.
What if we throw in a 15th ranked prospect in our system. It’d be hard, but I believe it could be done.
That trade would make no sense for the Rangers. They need to be rebuilding, not acquiring risky, over-priced pitchers. The Rangers are a long way from being a playoff team. They fell way short in this season’s expanded format and will be even further back in a normal year. There is no disgrace in rebuilding. If I was a Rangers fan, I’d rather they try to build a consistent contender rather than go for it with a swiss-cheese roster. It cab e fun following a rebuild provided it’s done properly.
I’d like them to rebuild, but JD was stubborn (by ownership’s demand) to not rebuild in 2017, but to “retool”, and now here we are, after a “retool” in last place in our division and almost in baseball. We need to rebuild, but not with this ownership. I still think JD can run a half decent organization whenever he can do what he wants, and rebuild how he wants, but this ownership is so restrictive. We need to sell the team this off-season. I’d like to see Gallo become a corner-stone, but is that realistic to happen soon? No. Trade players of value and let the young guys come up. Plug the team with vets in empty positions and go from there.
I have a hard time envisioning Boston and Texas as trade partners because they both need the same thing- Starting pitching. I don’t really think they line up well.
As a Sox fan, Odor is not a wise move. Only way Sox compete next year is if both Sale and Eovaldi pitch at peak performance AND they get a #3. Then Perez and others fill out the rotation. Sox also need bullpen help big time.
It would be even more unwise for Texas. As bad as the Red Sox have been, they have more overall talent than the Rangers. If ownership allows Bloom to make the post-Mookie personnel decisions, they could be in decent shape in the near future. The guy will get it done if given a fair shot.
You forget about E-Rod Looie? The only reason we need a #3 is because Eovaldi is at best a #4 starter. He throws hard but that ball just doesn’t move.
Maybe I’m biased, but the Twins have had recent success with pitchers coming off injuries, prolonged ineffectiveness, and off the radar guys (Pineda, Perez, Harper, Dobnak, Hill, Thielbar, and Wisler). Perhaps Kluber is the next project.
Kluber’s baseball future is a perpetual patient in the trainer’s office, but his financial future is sound. Don’t worry about him.
Hope the yankees take a look, potential low price/high reward kind of deal
watch this… Angel’s get him and Paxton on some 1 yr fliers and they tank out and its Harvey and Cahill all over again
Next season he’ll be 35. Check.
Coming off an injured season. Check.
Former accolades but no recent glory. Check.
Desperation in a depleted pitching market. Check.
Yep, Corey will be wearing Angel red.
They offered him a contract that’s worth less? What a worthless kick in the gut for Kluber.
They paid him for a full season, and he didnt play. What a worthless kick in the gut for Texas.
Pitchers with bad arms are not worth a dime. We’ve seen this show a hundred times. 99 of them end up with the same bad ending. One of them will do Ok. That’s it. Dump him and run.
Should the Rangers trade Lynn, and I hope they do not. A veteran presence or two or three will be needed to keep young arms from being humiliated. Allard may eventually be good, and I like Cody and Benjamin, but not impressed with Burke or Palumbo due to his fragility. My guess is Winn and Crouse are both 2022 additions. I agree Gibson may be salvageable if used as a five and little is expected other than eating innings. Lyles is terrible and untradeable so I see DFA in his future and you simply eat the salary. Based on what Daniels is saying my guess is if Lynn is traded, they try to sign the likes of a Jake Arrieta or Homer Bailey to plug the gaps, and provide guidance, and then fill in behind Cody with the likes of A. Woods, Wacha,Porcello or Leake. Tajuan Walker but would be great, but after huge rebound season he is more likely to land on a contender. I love Solak, Taveras, but unconvinced that White or TEjeda ready for big leagues. Guzman looks better and love the defense, but not certain he is for real yet. Heineman not bad, but better as 4th OF. Odor definitely has to go. My hope is that if you trade Lynn you look to Mets and include him with a couple of prospects for Dominic Smith. Then see what could be done to acquire Waters from Atlanta, and Andujar/Tauchman, or Frazier from Yankees. Middle of the order of Smith, Gallo, Andujar could be magic for years to come.
Angels make sense (insert injury and age joke)
Need starters, former pitching coach on the staff.