Boston’s offseason signing of veteran right-hander Corey Kluber hasn’t gone nearly as well as hoped, evidenced by the 37-year-old’s 6.26 ERA through seven trips to the hill thus far. The two-time AL Cy Young winner’s 17.7% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate are both career-worsts, as is his 88.6 mph average fastball. Kluber is in the 21st percentile of MLB pitchers or lower in terms of strikeout rate, opponents’ average exit velocity and opponents’ hard-hit rate. His lone quality start of the season came on April 25 in Baltimore.
The Red Sox have stuck with the right-hander through his struggles, and manager Alex Cora indicated over the weekend that Kluber will make his next scheduled start on the road against the D-backs, writes Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. That’ll mean the Red Sox will continue with a six-man rotation of Chris Sale, James Paxton, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, a returning Garrett Whitlock — he’s expected to be activated from the injured list for Saturday’s start — and Kluber. However, Cora declined to commit to the permanence of that arrangement (or lack thereof). Asked if that group would continue to start for the foreseeable future, Cora replied: “For the foreseeable week, let’s put it that way.”
Whether the Sox would pull the plug on Kluber’s tenure entirely or look to move him to the bullpen, as they did with Nick Pivetta, is likely still being determined by the team’s front office. Certainly, the hope would be for Kluber to right the ship and begin to make good on the $10MM contract he signed over the winter, but there’s been little in the way of positives to foster optimism.
Boston’s bullpen, in general, has been solid this season, ranking 13th in the Majors with a 3.84 ERA. However, some cracks have begun to form over the past couple weeks. Closer Kenley Jansen has begun to struggle with his command and had a recent pair of blow-ups, while righty John Schreiber hit the injured list with a lat strain last week.
Last night, the Sox further announced that lefty Richard Bleier is headed to the injured list with shoulder inflammation. After a pair of tough outings early in the year, he’d been pitching well for about a month, working to a 2.77 ERA over a span of 13 innings from April 15 to May 15. However, Bleier was rocked for five runs (three earned) on six hits in 2 2/3 innings over his past two appearances before landing on the injured list.
The Sox didn’t provide a timetable for Bleier’s potential return. He’ll be replaced by fellow lefty Brennan Bernardino for the time being. The 31-year-old southpaw, claimed off waivers from Seattle earlier in the season, has a solid 3.65 ERA in 12 1/3 frames with the Sox since they picked him up, with a hearty 55% grounder rate and 5.6% walk rate helping to offset a tepid 18.5% strikeout rate.
Though Bleier will be out for at least two weeks, the Red Sox could soon be getting healthier in the infield. Christopher Smith of MassLive.com tweets that Yu Chang is slated to head out on a rehab assignment tomorrow, and Christian Arroyo could do the same as soon as Friday. Chang has been out for nearly a month since suffering a hamate fracture, while Arroyo’s been sidelined since early May due to a hamstring strain.
That pair’s impending return will push the Red Sox into some roster decisions, as both have been outperformed by current second baseman Enmanuel Valdez, who’s batting .270/.324/.476 with three homers and three steals in 68 plate appearances. Valdez has minor league options remaining, however, while both Chang and Arroyo are out of options. Boston has also gotten solid work in an even smaller sample from utilityman Pablo Reyes, whom they acquired from the A’s in exchange for cash 11 days ago. In 28 plate appearances, Reyes is batting .296/.321/.407 (8-for-27, three doubles, one walk, four strikeouts). Like Chang and Arroyo, he’s out of minor league options.
Kluber has been moved to BrasierWatch
I believe Kluber will get a long leash, maybe even an IL placement, because I don’t believe that Boston has anybody better, that they can turn to. This concept keeps a lot of faltering players in MLB.
I don’t think he’ll get a long leash in the rotation, but I could definitely see a stint on the IL in his future, followed by a rehab assignment to see if they can get him back on track. But they do have better options if he doesn’t improve.
If they go with a 5 man rotation moving forward then Kluber should already be the odd man out. Sale, Paxton, Bello, Whitlock, and Houck should be the rotation. If there’s an injury then Crawford should be next in line if they have to delve deeper then probably Winckowski. Kluber could benefit from a phantom injury then a rehab assignment but he might just be toast.
HARD pass on Winckowski going into the rotation. he’s been way too valuable in the pen.
Mlb – Did you read the article? Sox have 5 better SP than Kluber … 7 if you count Crawford and Pivetta.
I do agree he is safe for probably another 4-6 weeks.
Kluber is doing a great job, get off his back! Ahahaha!
Actually $10,000,000 reasons why his leash is a little longer…
They absolutely have better options and more intriguing ones at that. I’d much rather give innings to a guy like Houck in the rotation right now to see if he can develop at all into a consistent starter. In a bridge year like this there’s no reason to give innings to a guy that doesn’t give you anything in the future.
Not only that, but if this team is going to stay competitive, why go to a guy that’s totally washed instead of Houck or Whitlock who are better, more talented options? Kluber is objectively cooked. He’s got nothing left.
Valdez vs Chang vs Arroyo:
Start Valdez,
Chang Utility
Release Arroyo
-Valdez looks comfortable and their are several options if he falters
-Chang easily the best defensive utility
-Arroyo gets injured too often and it frees up spot on 40-man
completely agree with you. heck, you could even talk me into agreeing with cutting/trading both Arroyo and Chang. let the young kids play. they’ll have times where the struggle, but that’s how they learn. and let’s be honest, even if they do struggle, they’ll still be giving more then Chang and Arroyo
I think Kluber could be used as a long arm out of the pen.
The thing about Kluber is he’s getting slapped around in the first inning, before he settles down. (10 runs given up 1st inning in 9 starts). Im worried how that translates in the bullpen.
But your probably right, he’s too value to just up and release, who’s going to take his spot thats, that much better? Ort?
Or convince him to go on IR til a spot opens up.
They have better long options in Pivetta, Winckowski, and Krawford. Kluber is not going to start pumping gas if he goes to relief. He either figures it out or he’s going to be out of the rotation. Whether that means a phantom injury or an out right release is anyone’s guess at this point.
I like ‘phantom injury’. He lives in Winchester MA, so my guess is he would probably be open to it. He goes to Worcester for a 30 day rehab and see where he and the Red Sox starting rotation is at that point.
@RSmith. Very valid point about Kluber’s 1st inning problems..
Kluber isn’t even a long arm out of the rotation. It was a colossally bad signing, I hated it then and I loathe it now
Still with the Hater Comments Pedro. Give it a rest, it was only 10 Million.
What’s another 10 mil in the bonfire when payroll is going down…are you on the payroll?
Only 10 million? Having 10 million less on the books last year would have fixed a lot of issues, would it not? So we should just be fine with giving away 10 million bucks, regardless of ability of player? If you don’t like what I have to say then block me, otherwise get lost. “It’s only one comment.” In fact don’t feel obligated to respond, I’m blocking you and will not see your idiotic response
10 million would look good if it was given to Wacha.
Boxscore: They have a winning record. What bonfire?
Weird you didnt “hate” the move when it happened. Sure you had lots of hate in your seven posts that day. Funny thing is you never hated the move just Bloom, the Red Sox, the sun rising etc.
Where did you come from “ray win” whos second account are you?
430 comments when Kluber was signed, you didnt say a word, loser.
Pedro Martinez’s Mango Tree
Only 10 million?
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It seems like only two starts ago that everyone was whining about Paxton’s $10M. Not so much any more.
Such is the nature of free agents. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
They don’t need to cut arroyo. If it comes down to it, they should be able to find a trade partner and get at minimum a lottery ticket prospect
Teams keep paying Kluber for his past performance. Must be nice! Dump him and bring a young guy up from Rookie ball. He could probably do better than a 6.60 FIP. Wait, I could do better than that! Put me in Coach, I’m ready to play, today!
Tough to point to any positives in the Klubot’s 2023 performance, but he has surprisingly remained healthy. That’s ironic since a trip to the IL for 2 or 3 weeks might be the best thing for him right now.
One might have guessed that living close to his home in Boston with his family would have helped him. I agree….D/L him for a bit and see if they can bring back the “money pitcher” that we thought we were getting.
I think this team needs six or seven starters but a five man rotation. Sale and Paxton need to be maximized but not worn out. Same with Bello. I honestly see 25 starts as the most anyone should get this year and probably not a single pitcher throwing 162 innings (needed to qualify for ERA). Also, need lots of relievers, and if some can go multiple innings, all the better.
whyhayzee
I think this team needs six or seven starters but a five man rotation. Sale and Paxton need to be maximized but not worn out. Same with Bello.
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I agree, but we also need to make to playoffs.
The funny part is, I don’t think it is two weeks since some fans thought Bello should be sent down, and that Paxton’s $10M was a colossal waste of money.
It’s the old, “What have you done for me lately?”
I agree on making the playoffs, but that’s going to require some stability and consistency, two characteristics which they haven’t yet shown.
What’s interesting about this team is that I don’t think they need to make any major moves this year, the pieces are there. They’re just strewn all over the floor right now.
LOL! I think “strewn” is an apt description, but sometimes that works out if/when things come together. We were a good team in 2013, and then went 22-10 down the stretch and the momentum carried us thru the playoffs.
The Sox will have more roster decisions to make when and if Story and Mondesi are ready to play.
And Duvall who is swinging a bat already.
I read yesterday that they’re trading for Ohtani which will make them an instant contender.
I love these Ohtani rumors from so called ‘insiders’
Bello looks like a potential stud
I agree.He looked sharp and assured against the Braves.
I think if only Bloom and the scouts would have known Wacha would pitch that well this year.He has also been injured a lot so to know he would be healthy is a stretch.same with Eovaldi.He is almost always good for like a month on the Il.
TB – Nate led the league in starts just 2 years ago.
and how many seasons did he make a full compliment of starts before or after 2021? I’ll just tell you it was one.
The end of the line both in Boston and in Baseball is nearing for Kluber. He’s had a couple of good starts and looked like he was turning the corner only to smack into a wall again. The rotation is solid enough that it seems like the Sox are putting theme in a position to lose by trotting him out there every 5 or 6 days
RSox – Winning is not a priority until at least June, that’s why Cora continues to not only play Casas but even bat him 3rd.
Let him eats some innings. He knows how to pitch and still may turn it around.
I’m surprised by the proposed timetable for Chang’s return. Hamate surgery saps power from the wrist and has a powerful negative effect on the swing. Look at Binelas in the minors–his hamate surgery derailed his high collegiate standing and dropped him a few rounds in the draft, and, frankly, he has recovered very little of his college power and hit tools over three years. And I agree very much with the commenter above who questions the wisdom of dropping Kluber into the bullpen–if he’s getting creamed by the first batters who see him, how does that translate to relief? Will his FB play up to 90? That would be funny. However, he gets longer life because the bottom has dropped out on the Worcester depth that SHOULD be knocking on the majors’ door soon; instead,
Murphy, Walter, and Mata (who is injured now) have all been lousy compared to the promise of 2022. At the moment, all the depth is at the major league level.
Absolutely right on Kluber. When guys like Pivetta move to the BP, sometimes you get a dividend because they throw extra hard. With Kluber, that’s not an option.
You have to take into account that Chang can’t hit worth a damn even when his wrists are perfect. Sox are probably more concerned that he’s able to play the field. Now if there’s a surgery that can make him an actual hitter, Bloom is all ears.
Solaris – I totally agree. The offense has crashed as expected, total of one run scored in 3 games, as Dugie and Devers are no longer carrying the offense. Adding Chang is like throwing a tire around someone who is already drowning.
Remember all the BS about never quitting, never giving up AB’s. This is a team constantly making outs on the first or second pitch. It’s sad.
FPG – My observation about the team is that it that it plays to the level of it’s competition. It’s 13=9 vs good teams, it’s now 10-11 vs Average teams and it’s 3-3 vs bad teams. The West coast trip had SD as a good team so naturally they did the unexpected and beat them 2 of 3 instead of 1 of 3. Then LAA which is considered an average team so the expectation is 1-2 since it’s an away series and Boston needs to win today to match the prediction. Then, they have Arizona who is considered a bad team (based on pre-season) and they are 3-3 against bad teams. They got swept by PIT at home and they swept DET on the road. ARI is on the road so maybe a sweep in ARI would get them back on track.
I warned that this team was a much better pitching team than hitting team and the early results suggested their historical stats were being far exceeded on the hitting side. Regressing to the mean is a very common occurrence so the recent games suggest that it is happening right now. Will they play for all of 2023 above their norms? Hard to say. If they do their pitching should make them very competitive especially if Paxton is for real. If their hitting regresses to their norms then their pitching will struggle to hold teams to a low enough total to win games.
Guys over their norms include Verdugo, Duran, Yoshida, McGurie, Duvall, Valdez, Refsnyder and Reyes. That’s a lot of guys over performing!! Guys playing around their norms include Turner .267 average, Hernandez .236 average , Wong .228 average,and Arroyo .257 average.
The good news is that Devers is playing under his norm so he will regress upward from his .249 average. Likewise, I am hopeful that Casas is more than a .181 hitter and I don’t believe Dalbec is a .182 hitter but with 116 less at bats than Casas it’s hard to tell.
Hitting will be the challenge all season. They will have hot streaks and some incredibly cold streaks since their norms are far below average as a team. That’s on Bloom. As a fan, it’s great to see them over perform but it needs to be taken with a grain of salt because a bigger under performance is always on the way.
I’m really enjoying the starting staff. Seeing Sale being Sale and seeing Paxton stepping back in time a half decade has been great. The future of the staff is Houck and Bello and they look great. Pivetta is a rock solid #5 SP so things look really great from a pitching perspective especially with the depth in the bullpen. Whitlock needs to be the stress guy but if he pushes Pivetta out of the rotation maybe they could try Pivetta as the stress guy or Crawford but it makes no sense to me to experiment when you know Whitlock can be that critical guy.
FPG, you are right to pound on the offense and defense because they are the Achilles heels of this ball club.
KD – Awesome post! I disagree about SD though, they are nowhere near good especially without Machado. They were 2-11 before the Sox came to town.
I think Cora’s crazy lineups are hurting Devers. You seem to be right about Hernandez, not good at the plate and certainly not worth $10M.
You’d be surprised at how many teams have 3-game hitting slumps.
FPG – The GOOD, AVERAGE and BAD ratings were pre-season ratings. They reflect their normal talent level not the current talent level. I agree SD is grossly under performing and with Machado out they will struggle to stay in playoff contention.
As far as Kiki goes, he’s been around 10 years and never was more than a utility player until he came to play for Cora, his father’s buddy. .239 is an atrocious average for 10 years considering he doesn’t hit for power and he doesn’t steal many bases and he’s not a good defender. It’s the definition of a utility player. To pay a utility player $9MM more than their worth when you got rid of Mookie for wanting $9MM more than he was making is crazy bad decision making on Bloom’s part.
Do you think Paxton can keep it up or is he heading toward a regression to his recent mean performance? This could be something Bloom did right but he’s made so many bad decisions it’s hard to believe this can last.
For me, seeing Sale being Sale after all the badmouthing is very pleasing. The guy has top 5 SP talent. He’s right there with guys like de Grom, Verlander and Scherzer. I consider his talent greater than Cole, Alcantara and Kershaw. When right, I wouldn’t want to face him.