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Seemingly out of thin air, Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber took the AL by storm in 2014 on his way to a Cy Young award. Kluber simply dominated, going 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in just his second full season. Although he’s only eligible for the first time next winter, the arbitration era of any MLB player’s career is a time that can cause great animosity between the player and employer.
Tribe still discussing extension with Kluber – Corey Kluber | CLE http://t.co/ETUApMAx54
— Rotoworld Baseball (@Rotoworld_BB) April 2, 2015
Being that Cleveland is a small-market team, and struggles to draw fans, the Indians would be out of their minds not to extend Kluber right now. What if he goes on to win another Cy Young in 2015? In that scenario, his arbitration years could end up costing the Indians $5 million more per season, which isn’t sustainable on their budget. Now, however, Cleveland could get Kluber on a bit of a club-friendly deal and ensure it has an ace at the top of its rotation as the rebuild continues.
Any organization with a developed Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco along with Kluber is one that is going to be a perennial contender.
Read the tea leaves folks, if this doesn’t get done, it’s either an indication that the Indians have no plans for the future set in stone, or they just simply do not believe Kluber is on a path to sustain his dominance. However, until proven otherwise, it appears that it is the former and not the latter.
Timothy Downs is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. You can ‘like him’ on Facebook add him on Google or follow him on Twitter @Tidow1212
