Mets Rumors: In the mix for former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber

In the latest round of New York Mets rumors, the team has been reported to be showing interest in a former Cy Young Award winner looking to have a comeback season.

The majority of New York Mets rumors are currently revolving around catcher James McCann, but the Mets are focused on upgrading at other positions as well. One weakness for their team in 2020 was their starting pitching, and with Noah Syndergaard out for at least the start of 2021, the Mets need to fortify their rotation so that it could withstand major injuries.

As a result of the team’s need for starting pitching, it should come as no surprise that Mets rumors reveal that they are in the market for starting pitchers. The latest round of rumors surround former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. NJ.com and ESPN’s Buster Olney both reported that the Corey Kluber sweepstakes are heating up, with the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox all competing for his services.

Seeing the Mets competing with the Yankees and Red Sox for Kluber should not be a surprise. All three teams are in the market for starting pitchers. The Red Sox, like the Mets, had an awful rotation last year, and the Yankees, who could lose both Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton in free agency, are in the need to add starting pitchers in case one or both of them depart.

Corey Kluber is a free agent that can be characterized as a low-risk, potentially high-reward player. Kluber is coming off yet another injury-plagued season with the Texas Rangers. He only lasted one inning for the team after experiencing shoulder tightness. A further medical examination after he left his start prematurely showed that he had suffered a Grade 2 of the teres major muscle, which prevented him from returning to the team for the rest of the season.

However, no one would deny that Kluber, when healthy, was one of the better starting pitchers in the league. When he was healthy, Kluber displayed a dominance that few pitchers replicated, and struck hitters out at an above-average clip.

Pitchers with Kluber’s track record usually receive another opportunity. However, because he has spent the last two seasons injured, Kluber will probably receive an incentive-laden deal. The best-case scenario for the Mets or any team that acquires him is that he regains his old form and becomes a solid rotation piece. The worst-case scenario is that he gets injured again or shows dramatic signs of decline, which is possible considering that he will be 35 when the 2021 season commences.

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With the Mets rotation as it currently stands, expect more Mets rumors regarding their interest in starting pitchers to intensify. Corey Kluber will be the first pitcher of many that the Mets will be rumored to have interest in.