Rangers get Kluber; Bumgarner to D-backs
The Cleveland Indians traded two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber to the Texas Rangers on Sunday for outfielder Delino DeShields and pitching prospect Emmanuel Clase in a deal that could dramatically change both teams.
Kluber, 33, has been one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers since 2014, when he went 18-9 and won his first Cy Young. He got his second in 2017, going 18-4 and leading the AL with a 2.25 ERA. But his future with the money-conscious Indians grew more uncertain last season when the club managed to stay in the playoff chase until late September despite not having him after May 1.
Kluber broke his right forearm when he was struck by a line drive during a start at Miami and never made it back. He came close to returning to the Indians’ rotation but suffered an oblique injury during a minor league rehab appearance that ended his comeback.
The Indians picked up his $17.5 million contract option for 2020 immediately after last season. His deal includes a club option for $18 million for 2021.
A three-time All-Star, Kluber went 98-58 with a 3.16 ERA over his nine seasons with the Indians.
Kluber’s exit will be a tough sell for Indians fans, who have seen the club trade CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee — also Cy Young winners — in the past.
The 27-year-old DeShields should give Cleveland another outfield option and some speed. He hit .249 with 24 stolen bases for Texas last season.
Clase skipped Class AAA last season and made his big league debut with the Rangers in August, going 2-3 with a 2.31 ERA.
In other news:
• Longtime Giants ace Madison Bumgarner has reached agreement with Arizona on an $85 million, five-year contract that ends his run of success in San Francisco, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday.
Bumgarner pitched 11 seasons for the Giants but knew his time likely had ended. He bid farewell along with retiring manager Bruce Bochy on the season’s final day.
The Giants said during the winter meetings this past week in San Diego they had remained in contact with representatives for the 30-year-old Bumgarner, who helped them win World Series titles in 2010, ‘12 and ‘14.
Bumgarner went 9-9 with a career-high 3.90 ERA in 34 starts last season.
The lefty has been especially valuable in postseason play — he is 4-0 with a memorable Game 7 save and an 0.25 ERA in World Series play.
• Reliever Blake Treinen and the Dodgers have finalized a $10 million, one-year deal.
The 31-year-old righthander and the Dodgers reached agreement during the winter meetings, shortly after the Athletics declined to offer Treinen a new contract. Treinen was an All-Star in 2018 with a 0.78 ERA. But he struggled last season and lost his closer’s role to Liam Hendriks.
• Babe Ruth hit his 500th home run 90 years ago against Cleveland. His Yankees lost the game, but his bat sold this weekend for more than $1 million.
The family of Ruth’s friend, former Suffern, N.Y., Mayor Jim Rice, stored the bat for almost 75 years, until Laguna Niguel, Calif.-based SCP Auctions put it up for sale.
• Outspoken Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer is barbing Rob Manfred, tweeting the MLB commissioner “is trying to ruin baseball at all levels.“
Bauer sent a series of tweets during the weekend, starting with a jab about MLB’s threat to cut ties with minor league affiliates.
Bauer followed up with: “At least Rob Manfred is trying to ruin baseball at all levels and isn’t discriminating. Something to be said for consistency, I guess.“
MLB had no immediate comment.