Two-time Cy Young Award winner Kluber retires at 37
Corey Kluber, a two-time Cy Young Award winner for Cleveland who pitched a no-hitter for the New York Yankees in 2021, announced his retirement Friday after 13 major league seasons.
Kluber revealed his decision on Instagram, a posting confirmed by his agent, B.B. Abbott.
The 37-year-old righthander, nicknamed “Klubot” for his robot-like demeanor, was 3-6 with a 7.04 ERA in nine starts and six relief appearances for Boston last year. He became a free agent after the Red Sox declined an $11 million option.
He made his last appearance on June 20, getting his first career save while giving up four runs on three homers over three innings in a 10-4 win at Minnesota. Kluber went on the injured list the next day because of right shoulder inflammation.
Kluber called his career “an indelible and unforgettable ride.”
“As I take my leave from the pitcher’s mound, my passion for baseball remains unwavering,” Kluber wrote in a statement. “I eagerly anticipate exploring opportunities to contribute to the sport in a different capacity.”
Kluber was 116-77 with a 3.44 ERA in 260 starts
and 11 relief appearances over his career with Cleveland, Texas, the Yankees, Tampa Bay and Boston. He struck out 1,725 and walked 368 over 1,641 2/3 innings. The three-time All-Star pitched 18 complete games, including eight shutouts.
Kluber made his big league debut in June 2011 and won his first Cy Young Award with Cleveland in 2014 after going 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA. He won another Cy Young in 2017, when he was 18-4 with a major league-best 2.25 ERA. He was 98-58 with a 3.16 ERA over nine seasons with the Indians.
Kluber pitched a no-hitter at Texas on May 19, 2021, coming within a four-pitch walk to Charlie Culberson in
the third inning of throwing a perfect game.
■ METS: Former New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler was suspended through the 2024 World Series on Friday by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, who concluded he directed team staff to fabricate injuries to create open roster spots.
Manfred said in a statement that Eppler directed “the deliberate fabrication of injuries; and the associated submission of documentation for the purposes of securing multiple improper injured list placements during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.”
Use of the so-called “phantom injured list” is thought to be common throughout baseball, but Eppler is the first to be disciplined.
“I cooperated fully and transparently with MLB’s investigation, and I accept their decision,” Eppler said in a statement.
Eppler will not lose any salary as a result of the suspension. The Mets paid the remainder of his contract, which was set to run through the 2025 season, after he resigned last fall the same day MLB’s investigation became public.
Eppler’s conduct involved about seven players, a person familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the players were not publicly identified.
■ BLUE JAYS: Cuban pitcher Yariel Rodríguez and the Toronto Blue Jays finalized a $32 million, fiveyear contract on Friday.
A 26-year-old righthander, Rodríguez was 6-2 with a 1.15 ERA over 56 relief appearances in 2022 with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Central League. He struck out 60 and walked 18 over 54 2/3 innings.
He had a 2.45 ERA over 7 1/3 innings for Japan in last year’s World Baseball Classic, then sat out the season in anticipation of moving to Major League Baseball as a free agent.
Rodríguez was 10-10 with a 3.03 ERA and six saves over three seasons with the Dragons.