Why Kluber Won’t Go the Way of His Predecessors
Corey Kluber has etched his name in baseball history, winning the 2014 AL Cy Young award. In the first 50 years of the award’s existence, only one Indians pitcher was able to take home the award, Gaylord Perry in 1972. Now, in the last 8 years, the Indians have had three winners: C.C. Sabathia (2007), Cliff Lee (2008), and Corey Kluber (2014). Of course the previous two winners were subsequently traded away following the year of the Cy Young win, thanks to the penny-pinching tactics of the Dolans. Time to discuss why Sabathia and Lee (besides the Dolans) were traded, and why Kluber won’t be traded.
In 2007, C.C. Sabathia helped the Indians win the AL Central title, but faltered in the playoffs, as the Indians blew a 3-1 series lead to the Terry Francona managed Boston Red Sox. Sabathia won the Cy Young in 2007, with a 19-7 record, sporting a 3.21 ERA, with 209 strikeouts in 241.0 innings pitched. Entering the 2008 season, the Indians tried feverishly to sign Sabathia to a contract extension, but talks stalled in spring training. With the Indians slipping farther and farther away from contention by the middle of July, they realized that Sabathia would walk in free agency, and decided to ship him off to Milwaukee for a top prospect, Matt LaPorta, and a player to be named later, Michael Brantley. Funny thing happened in the second half of the season, as the Indians posted a record of 44-30 after trading away Sabathia, to reach .500 by the end of the season, in large part because of Cliff Lee.
Cliff Lee in 2008 was a revelation. After a 2007 season that saw Lee post a 6.29 ERA, and spend time in the minors, Lee came out strong in 2008. Sporting a 6-0 record and an ERA under 1.00 until the middle of May, Lee slowed down by the end of the year, posting a 22-3 record, a 2.54 ERA, striking out 170 batters in 223.1 innings pitched. Lee became the second Indian in as many years to win the Cy Young. The Indians came out in 2009 looking to contend for a World Series, as the front office made big splashes signing a closer, Kerry Wood, and trading for Mark DeRosa. However, another slow start forced the Indians to again be sellers at the trade deadline. Cliff Lee’s name floated around, but the Indians still had a year and a half of control left on his contract, and had no real need to trade him away. Alas, they did trade Lee away for a below average return, even at the time, of Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, and Lou Marson.
This brings us to the current Cy Young winner, Corey Kluber. If history tells us anything, it’s that the Indians will most surely trade him this upcoming season, right? Wrong! Sabathia was traded because the Indians knew he wouldn’t re-sign, Lee was traded (well, I still don’t really know why, but I will say this) because of a bloated payroll. Kluber won’t follow the Sabathia route, because the Indians still have control of Kluber for the next 4 seasons, and he won’t follow the Cliff Lee route, because the Indians are currently projected for a $67.5 million payroll (if the Indians add no one to next year’s roster), which would be their lowest since the 2011 season. Even though the Indians control Kluber for the next 4 seasons, the Indians would be wise to lock him up for the long term right now.
Kluber has one more year left until his first arbitration hearing, and no team or player ever wants to go to arbitration. It would be smart to get a deal done, because arbitration could get very ugly for both sides. Fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets know what happens when you don’t sign a cornerstone player before he hits that restricted free agent zone, as the Ryan Johansen contract negotiation debacle resulted. No matter what the Indians decide to do, whether it be an extension or a year-by-year arbitration deal, I can guarantee that unlike his predecessors, Corey Kluber will not be traded, and will continue to be the ace of the Indians staff for the next four years.
— Chris Sladoje
Photos via wikipedia.com, chronicle.northcoastnow.com, and blog.pennlive.com
