Red Sox Sign Corey Kluber After Losing Out On Nathan Eovaldi And Get Even Worse
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Yesterday Nathan Eovaldi signed with the Texas Rangers and the Red Sox filled that spot in the rotation with two-time Cy Young award winner Corey Kluber. This would be a giant upgrade if it was 2016. In fact, this Red Sox off-season would have a different look if it was seven years ago.
Eovaldi is a better pitcher than Kluber today. Kluber was putting together a Hall of Fame career before suffering a couple shoulder injuries; as well as an abdominal injury and a fractured pitching arm. Now he's 37 and had a 84 ERA+ last year. To his credit, he did pitch a full season but it was the first year he threw 81 innings in a season since A Star Is Born was in theaters.
Similar to Kluber, Eovaldi's had durability issues himself. But he's four years younger and even led the league in Fielding Independent Pitching in 2022. Both Kluber and Eovaldi have some of the best control out of any pitcher in baseball.
Having said all of that, whether it be Eovaldi or Kluber, it doesn't really matter. You could sign BOTH pitchers and this still isn't a playoff team. Look at the staff now that Kluber is on board:
1. Chris Sale (0-1, 3.18 ERA, 2 Games Started)
2. Corey Kluber (10-10, 4.34 ERA, 31 GS)
3. Nick Pivetta (10-12, 4.56 ERA, 33 GS)
4. James Paxton (Did Not Pitch)
5. Bryan Bello (2-8, 4.71 ERA, 11 GS)
Somehow they have found themselves with a worse rotation than last year. I'd rather have Michael Wacha and Eovaldi than Kluber and James Paxton whose entire body might be made of glass. He's never once thrown enough innings in any season to qualify for an ERA title.
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While it's still only December and there is plenty of time before Spring Training starts, the Red Sox are pretty fucked. All of the good free agents are off the board (except for the Carlos Correa ankle drama). Here's the best of who is left according to MLB Trade Rumors:
1. Jurickson Profar, LF
2. Andrew Chafin, RP
3. Jean Segura, 2B
4. Michael Wacha, SP
That's not an inspiring list. They will never do it but as I've said repeatedly, they need to tank. This is a team that at best, is heading right for the middle, which the worst place to be in professional sports. They should spend the next season selling off the parts they do have. There has already been interest in Chris Sale from some teams and while he has a no-trade clause, that might be a conversation worth having with him.
Signing band-aids like Justin Turner and Corey Kluber aren't going to fix anything. This was a last place team in 2022 that has gotten even worse for next season. They need to burn it all down and start over.