[Mr KLC]

The Rangers have acquired right-hander Corey Kluber from the Indians, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (via Twitter). The deal is agreed to, pending physicals of the players involved, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). In return, Indians will receive right-handed reliever Emmanuel Clase and outfielder Delino DeShields, Jr. (Twitter links via Rosenthal and Levi Weaver of The Athletic). Texas will assume the entirety of Kluber’s $17.5MM obligation, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter), though the Rangers will also receive $500K in cash considerations to cover half of the $1MM assignment bonus owed to Kluber.

[2daBank]

Damn. Rangers quietly putting together a nice pitching staff for their move into this new park. Have to assume by way they been building the staff last 2 years that it gonna be a more pitcher friendly park than the old one? AL West gonna be a really tough division!

[Mr KLC]

Damn. Rangers quietly putting together a nice pitching staff for their move into this new park. Have to assume by way they been building the staff last 2 years that it gonna be a more pitcher friendly park than the old one? AL West gonna be a really tough division!

I actually like their current starting staff as much as the Astros right now.

[2daBank]

I actually like their current starting staff as much as the Astros right now.

Oh for sure.

[Chi_archie]

I wouldn't label it white flag

Kluber was hurt all of last season almost and they won 93 games with his ERA at 5.80 and they won 3 and lost 4 games he pitched.

he pitched a lot of 200+ inning seasons, maybe they saw a decline before and during the rehab process.

If they can win 90 games without him, maybe they can win more without him and the new fresh blood coming back

[Mr KLC]

I wouldn't label it white flag

Kluber was hurt all of last season almost and they won 93 games with his ERA at 5.80 and they won 3 and lost 4 games he pitched.

he pitched a lot of 200+ inning seasons, maybe they saw a decline before and during the rehab process.

If they can win 90 games without him, maybe they can win more without him and the new fresh blood coming back

I just think that they're going to trade Lindor next. It's all economics with them right now.

[pimike]

I just think that they're going to trade Lindor next. It's all economics with them right now.

Agree

[Mr KLC]

What the Tribe will do with this newfound payroll space is on the minds of Marc Carig and Jason Lloyd as part of The Athletic’s writers roundtable of opinions on the trade (subscription required). The club could be content to just pocket the savings as part of a more thorough rebuild that could include a Francisco Lindor trade this winter. But, with the Indians still in position to contend within a weak AL Central, dealing Kluber could create enough payroll relief to make the team even less likely to move Lindor in the short term, and spend the money saved on Kluber to address other needs. “Given the number of teams that were involved in the Kluber rumors, it’s hard to dispute that this was the best return they [the Indians] could fetch,” Lloyd writes, with Ken Rosenthal also noting that Cleveland might have been concerned that Kluber’s value could further decline prior to the 2020 trade deadline.

[cincinnatikid513]

must be saving up money to pay lindor

[kidcudi92]

dumping salary for an oft injured

can't blame them

[lakerboy]

I wouldn't label it white flag

Kluber was hurt all of last season almost and they won 93 games with his ERA at 5.80 and they won 3 and lost 4 games he pitched.

he pitched a lot of 200+ inning seasons, maybe they saw a decline before and during the rehab process.

If they can win 90 games without him, maybe they can win more without him and the new fresh blood coming back

Agreed. He is washed up.

[unlearn]

Thanks for the great 4-5 years but agree, he is washed. Clevinger/Bieber are the future

[jrgum3]

If this allows them to keep Lindor then I'd say they're far from waiving the white flag. Simply cutting bait on a guy who is a shell of his former self and saving them a large sum of money in the process.

[Mr KLC]

Emmanuel Clase, the Indians' key piece in the Corey Kluber trade with TEX, has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance.

[MinnesotaFats]

LOL will it count in 20 or 21?