Rangers’ move makes Kluber a free agent
The Rangers on Friday declined the $ 18 million contract option on righthander Corey Kluber, who lasted just one inning in his only start before a shoulder injury ended his 2020 season.
The decision makes Kluber, a twotime Cy Young Award winner and a threetime AllStar, a free agent.
Kluber, 34, gets a $ 1 million buyout, and the club has said it is interested in resigning him. The Rangers acquired Kluber from the Indians for reliever Emmanuel Clase and outfielder Delino DeShields in December.
Kluber threw 18 pitches in his only inning for the Rangers, leaving with shoulder tightness in a 52 loss to Colorado in the third game of the season.
In other contract news:
The Indians declined options on Brad Hand, who led the American League with 16 saves this year, as well as first baseman Carlos Santana and outfielder Domingo Santana. The moves cut $ 30.75 million from the team’s projected 2021 payroll.
The club exercised its $ 5.5 million option for catcher Roberto Perez.
The Yankees declined to pick up the options on outfielder Brett Gardner ($ 10 million) and pitcher J. A. Happ ($ 17 million).
The Marlins declined their $ 4 million option for 2021 on reliever Brandon Kintzler, who was second in the National League with 12 saves.
The Rays declined options on pitcher Charlie Morton ($ 15 million) and catcher Mike Zunino ($ 4.5 million).
The White Sox declined a $ 12 million option for designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion and a $ 7 million option for lefthander Gio Gonzalez but exercised a $ 3.5 million option on utilityman Leury Garcia.
The Cubs declined pitcher Jon Lester’s $ 25 million option. He gets a $ 10 million buyout.
It’s a deal: The Wilpon family’s control of the Mets neared its end after 34 years when Major League Baseball owners voted to approve the sale of the team to billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen.
The transfer from the Wilpon and Katz families values the franchise at between $ 2.4 billion and $ 2.45 billion, a record for a baseball team that tops the $ 2 billion sale of the Dodgers from Frank McCourt to Guggenheim Baseball Management in 2012.
The Mets sale is likely to close within 10 days.
Cohen made his announcement as New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city does not object to the sale. The city had the right to review the proposed transfer of the lease of Citi Field, the Mets’ home since 2009.