The Boston Red Sox were forced to make a difficult move Wednesday, sending two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber to the bullpen.
Kluber's slide out of the rotation and into Boston's 'pen comes after the veteran right-hander put together a 2-6 record with a 6.26 ERA in nine starts. That ERA registers as the highest mark on the club among pitchers with 20-plus innings under their belt, with command issues (18 walks in 41 2/3 innings) serving as the catalyst for what many would perceive as a demotion.
That isn't how the 37-year-old plans on viewing the move, however.
"There's no denying if you look at the body of work to this point in time, it hasn't been to the standard I expect out of myself or obviously I'm sure what the team expected out of me," Kluber said at Angel Stadium on Wednesday, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. "There's no sense in dwelling on it and feeling sorry for myself. The only way I'm going to improve and fix things is to come with a good attitude, try to get better each and every day and that's what I've been doing and I'm going to keep doing."
The Red Sox's decision to move Kluber will set them up with a five-man rotation, as Chris Sale, James Paxton, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock -- when he returns from the injured list -- make for a group with a high ceiling. In choosing those admittedly-volatile pitchers, Boston is choosing to maximize its window at winning games, according to general manager Brian O'Halloran.
That rotation has pushed both Kluber and Nick Pivetta to the bullpen, where they will join Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, Joely RodrÃguez, Kutter Crawford and Josh Winckowski. If all goes right, the Red Sox could be looking at one of their most well-rounded pitching staff's in the last half-decade, but any potential success starts with acceptance of roles -- something Kluber clearly understands.
"It's a change in role but at the end of the day, pitching is still the same," Kluber said. "So we've got to continue working on finding ways to improve and ways to get better."
