Red Sox agree to one-year contract with two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber
BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today signed right-handed pitcher Corey Kluber to a one-year contract for the 2023 season, with a club option for 2024. To make room for Kluber on the 40-man roster, Boston designated right-handed pitcher Connor Seabold for assignment.
Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.
Kluber, who resides in Winchester, MA, finished in the top 10 in American League Cy Young Award voting in five consecutive seasons from 2014-18, winning the award in 2014 and 2017 and finishing third in 2016 and 2018. In that five-year span, the right-hander went 83-45 (.648) with a 2.85 ERA (345 ER/1,091.1 IP), a 1.02 WHIP, and 10.13 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, leading the AL in wins, innings pitched, and ERA (min. 500.0 IP). Kluber, 36, was named an All-Star in 2016, 2017, and 2018, earning the win for the AL in 2016.
In a team-leading 31 starts for the Tampa Bay Rays last season, Kluber went 10-10 with a 4.34 ERA (79 ER/164.0 IP), 139 strikeouts, and 21 walks. He threw at least 6.0 innings in 17 of his starts, including 13 in which he allowed two runs or fewer. Among qualified pitchers, Kluber led the majors in fewest walks per 9.0 innings (1.2) and lowest walk rate (3.0%)—both the best marks of his career—while ranking third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.62). He issued one or zero walks in each of his final 16 starts (beginning July 6), totaling 72 strikeouts against only eight walks in that time. On July 13, he reached 10 years of Major League service time.
Selected by the San Diego Padres in the fourth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, Kluber was acquired by Cleveland in July 2010. He spent his first nine Major League seasons with Cleveland, making five consecutive Opening Day starts for the club from 2015-19. In 2019, he was limited to seven starts after being hit with a line drive and suffering a broken right forearm on May 1 at Marlins Park. Acquired by the Texas Rangers in December 2019, Kluber made only one appearance in 2020 due to a right shoulder injury. In 16 starts for the New York Yankees in 2021, he went 5-3 with a 3.83 ERA (34 ER/80.0 IP), including a no-hitter on May 19 against the Rangers.
In 256 career Major League outings (251 starts), Kluber is 113-71 with a 3.31 ERA (584 ER/1,586.2 IP), 1,683 strikeouts, 18 complete games, and eight shutouts. In 10 career Postseason appearances (nine starts), he is 4-4 with a 4.02 ERA (21 ER/47.0 IP). During Cleveland’s 2016 Postseason, he made six starts and went 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA (7 ER/34.1 IP). Three of those six outings were scoreless starts of at least 6.0 innings, including a 7.0-inning performance against the Red Sox in Game 2 of the Division Series.
A native of Birmingham, AL, Kluber graduated in 2004 from Coppell High School in Texas before attending Stetson University in DeLand, FL. He and his wife, Amanda, have two daughters, Kendall and Kennedy, and one son, Camden.
Seabold, 26, spent most of 2022 with Triple-A Worcester, going 8-2 with a 3.32 ERA (32 ER/86.2 IP) and 89 strikeouts. The right-hander has made six career Major League appearances with Boston, allowing 25 earned runs in 21.1 innings with 19 strikeouts.
BOSTON RED SOX 40-MAN ROSTER (40)
Pitchers (23): Matt Barnes, Brayan Bello, Ryan Brasier, Kutter Crawford, Franklin German, Tanner Houck, Kenley Jansen, Zack Kelly, Corey Kluber, Chris Martin, Bryan Mata, Wyatt Mills, Chris Murphy, Kaleb Ort, James Paxton, Nick Pivetta, Joely Rodríguez, Chris Sale, John Schreiber, Josh Taylor, Brandon Walter, Garrett Whitlock, Josh Winckowski
Catchers (2): Reese McGuire, Connor Wong
Infielders (6): Triston Casas, Bobby Dalbec, Rafael Devers, David Hamilton, Trevor Story, Justin Turner
Outfielders (5): Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Rob Refsnyder, Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida
Infielder/Outfielders (4): Christian Arroyo, Kiké Hernández, Ceddanne Rafaela, Enmanuel Valdez
