Red Sox GM Explains Decision To Move Corey Kluber To Bullpen

The Boston Red Sox weren’t going to have enough room in their rotation to fit all their starting pitchers.

They already moved Nick Pivetta to a relief role and after a rough start to his tenure with the Red Sox, two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber will join Pivetta in the bullpen.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced Kluber’s removal from the starting staff Wednesday ahead of the return of Garrett Whitlock from the injured list. Whitlock is expected to start Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Boston elected to stay with Tanner Houck, who has shown encouraging signs as a starter but has experience pitching out of the bullpen, in the rotation over the struggling Kluber, a decision that Red Sox general manager Brian O’Halloran explained to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

“There’s a lot of things that go into it, but ultimately we’re trying to use our players in an optimal way to win baseball games,” O’Halloran told Cotillo. “Right now, we feel that this is the best way to win baseball games. Tanner has a history of pitching well in any role. He’s doing a good job in the rotation right now. We do see him as someone who can start long-term. But ultimately this is about what gives us the best chance to win as many games as possible in 2023.”

Kluber, who signed a one-year, $10 million deal to join the Red Sox this offseason, has only made five appearances out of the bullpen in his 13-year major league career. But the move was warranted after the veteran right-hander posted a 2-6 record with a 6.26 ERA in nine starts this season. The exceptional control that has become a hallmark trait of Kluber hasn’t been there, either. After walking just 21 batters in 164 innings with the Tampa Bay Rays a season ago, he issued 18 free passes in 41 2/3 frames this season.

But O’Halloran isn’t counting out the 37-year-old from making an impact in his new role.

“We know the history,” O’Halloran told Cotillo. “We know what he can do. Obviously, he’s had his struggles so far this year and ultimately we have to do what’s best for the team. Corey has been great about that as well and expect him to contribute out of the bullpen.

O’Halloran added: “I think a veteran guy like him and someone with as much success as he has had and the ability that he has, he could be one adjustment away from finding it and we expect that he will. But he’s struggled a bit with command and ultimately this is the decision for now and and hopefully he can right the ship and contribute out of the ‘pen.”