GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Cleveland Indians have locked up last year’s American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber to a multi-year contract, according to media reports.
Kluber and the Indians have reportedly agreed to a five-year deal with two club option years. Financial details are not yet known.
Kluber, 28, would have been eligible for his first of three arbitration years after this season.
Signing Kluber to a five-year extension with two club options will put some risk on the team. But had the Indians simply gone to arbitration with Kluber at the end of each of the next three seasons, it likely would have cost much more to retain him if he remains at an elite level. The two club options offset some of that risk.
Kluber was 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA and 269 strikeouts in 2352/3 innings pitched en route to being named the American League’s best pitcher last season.
CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman was the first to report the deal. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, among others, also reported that the deal is done.
The Indians did not extend former Cy Young Award winners CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee after they won the award in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
Per a report from MLB.com, the Indians are also in talks to extend starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco’s contract. Carrasco and the Indians avoided arbitration this past offseason by agreeing to a one-year, $2.3 million deal. Carrasco has two arbitration years remaining.
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