Yankees Rumors: NY 'Definitely' Interested in Corey Kluber Contract After Showcase

The New York Yankees reportedly have interest in veteran free-agent pitcher Corey Kluber.

According to Bob Klapisch of the Newark Star-Ledger, the Yanks are "definitely in" on Kluber, but a source said the player "has a lot of options right now."

Per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, Kluber held a showcase in front of representatives from about 25 MLB teams Wednesday in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Kluber reportedly "commanded his pitches well and flashed typical velocity for this point in the offseason."

Injuries have plagued Kluber in recent years and prevented him from seeing extended playing time since 2018.

In his final season with the Cleveland Indians in 2019, Kluber suffered a fractured throwing arm, which limited him to just seven starts.

Kluber was traded to the Texas Rangers last offseason, but he suffered a torn teres major muscle in his throwing shoulder in his first start and didn't take the mound again.

Before injuries started to mount, Kluber was one of the best pitchers in baseball from 2013-18, and he was named to the All-Star Game in three consecutive seasons from 2016-18.

Kluber won the American League Cy Young Award in both 2014 and 2017, and he logged third-place finishes in 2016 and 2018.

In his first Cy Young season, Kluber went 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA and 269 strikeouts in 235.2 innings. When he took the honor for a second time in 2017, Kluber went 18-4 with a 2.25 ERA and 265 strikeouts in 203.2 innings.

Overall for his career, Kluber is 98-58 with a 3.16 ERA and 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 10 seasons.

Kluber is 34 years old now, so his age and injury history could mean that his best days are behind him, but he may be worth a roll of the dice for a team like the Yankees.

New York has a clear ace in Gerrit Cole, but there are major question marks behind him.

Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and J.A. Happ are all free agents after being part of the starting rotation last season. SNY's Andy Martino reported Thursday that there is "informed speculation" that Tanaka could pitch in his native Japan in 2021.

Behind Cole, the Yankees have Jordan Montgomery, Luis Severino and Domingo German as their top starting pitching options.

Montgomery is inconsistent, Severino is coming off Tommy John surgery and won't be back until at least the summer, and German hasn't pitched since 2019 after getting suspended for violating MLB's personal conduct policy.

The Yankees desperately need depth behind Cole, and Kluber could prove to be a worthwhile gamble if New York lands him for a reasonable price.