MLB Rumors: How Possible Red Sox Target Corey Kluber Looked At Showcase

An important chapter in the Corey Kluber comeback story was written Wednesday at the Cressey Sports Performance facility in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Kluber, who totaled just eight starts (36 2/3 innings) over the past two seasons due to injuries, hosted a showcase that reportedly was attended by about 25 Major League Baseball organizations.

The session drew positive reviews, with ESPN’s Jeff Passan reporting that scouts came away impressed and that a strong free agency market for Kluber is expected.

According to Passan, Kluber threw 30 pitches, including all of his offspeed stuff, and the right-hander’s velocity sat at around 88-90 mph as he builds toward spring training.

A source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that Kluber impressed onlookers, commanding his pitches well and flashing typical velocity for this point in the offseason.

“I don’t have a mindset that I need to prove myself to anyone, so to speak,” Kluber told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers in a recent phone interview. “I just need to show people that I’m healthy. I’m not putting pressure on myself to go out there and do X, Y and Z. It’s just about showing teams I’m progressing through a normal offseason.”

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Kluber, who turns 35 in April, dealt with a fractured forearm (he was struck by a line drive), an oblique strain and a teres major strain between 2019 and 2020.

That said, he was a two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Cleveland Indians (2014, 2017) and was excellent the last time he stayed healthy for a full season, going 20-7 with a 2.89 ERA, a 3.12 FIP, a 0.99 WHIP and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 33 starts (215 innings) in 2018.

As such, Kluber is a very intriguing bounce-back candidate despite the inherent uncertainty stemming from his injuries and his age, especially if he’s attainable on a short-term contract that’s heavy on incentives.

It’s unclear which clubs attended Wednesday’s workout, but the Boston Red Sox reportedly are among the teams that have shown interest in the three-time All-Star this offseason.

Boston is looking to bolster its pitching staff before the 2021 campaign, and Kluber, if nothing else, would be a fascinating lottery ticket coupled with the impending returns of Chris Sale (Tommy John surgery) and Eduardo Rodriguez (myocarditis).