“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
That has been the salient axiom in Arlington over the last two days, first from a two-alarm fire at Globe Life Field, and now with rumors of a Corey Kluber acquisition coming to fruition in less than a full day, as Texas acquires the two-time AL Cy Young winner in exchange for relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase and center fielder Delino DeShields.
Kluber’s salary is reportedly structured as follows: $17.5 million in 2020, followed by a 2021 option that converts from a team option to a vesting option upon Kluber being traded. If he pitches 160+ innings in 2020, that option will vest and the right-hander will make $18 million in 2021. That’s in addition to a $1 million “assignment” bonus, half of which will reportedly be paid by Cleveland.
So how do we make sense of this?
For Texas, the move makes sense for a couple of reasons. First, Kluber immediately improves the…
Read “‘He’s pretty excited’: Rangers add Corey Kluber without giving up the farm” at The Athletic