Corey Kluber's Club Contract Option Picked Up by Indians, Won't Hit Free Agency

The Cleveland Indians have picked up the $17.5 million option on longtime ace Corey Kluber, the team announced Friday. 

The Associated Press (h/t ESPN) first reported the news on Thursday.    

He also has an $18 million team option for the 2021 season before potentially hitting free agency.

The 33-year-old is coming off an injury-plagued season that saw him limited to seven starts because of a fractured right ulna. Kluber was largely ineffective when he did pitch, going 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA.

Prior to last season, Kluber had been one of Major League Baseball's most dominant pitchers dating back to his first American League Cy Young Award in 2014. He was awarded the trophy for the second time in 2017 thanks to a career performance that saw him go 18-4 with a 2.25 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 265 strikeouts in 203.2 innings.

Kluber narrowly missed out on winning the AL pitching Triple Crown that season, as he finished second in strikeouts.

The Birmingham, Alabama, native was something of a late bloomer, as he broke into the big leagues at the age of 25 in 2011. He became a quality starter by 2013, and he quickly developed into one of the most feared pitchers in the sport shortly thereafter.

Kluber has spent his entire career with the Tribe, but his name started coming up in trade talks after a somewhat disappointing 2018 season that saw the Indians get swept out of the American League Division Series by the Houston Astros.

While the Indians didn't go as far as hoped that season, Kluber wasn't the issue; he went 20-7 with a 2.89 ERA and finished third in the AL Cy Young voting.

After missing the playoffs in 2019, the Indians entered the offseason with some uncertainty, but they solidified at least one spot by retaining one of their most established players.

The veteran makes a fraction of what most aces earn at the big league level, which makes him a worthwhile part of the team if he can return to form. Adding in the emergence of Shane Bieber and Zach Plesac last season, the Indians could have a deep rotation in 2020.