The final credits are playing on the career of one former Cy Young winner.
Veteran righty Corey Kluber announced to social media on Friday that he is officially retiring from Major League Baseball. Kluber, who will turn 38 in April, had just wrapped up his 13th career season with the Boston Red Sox in 2023.
“To all who have been involved with my baseball odyssey, thank you for crafting an indelible and unforgettable ride,” he wrote in a statement. “For all of those that will be part of my next chapter in baseball, I look forward to passing on what I have learned to the next generation of MLB players.
“As I take my leave from the pitcher’s mound, my passion for baseball remains unwavering,” Kluber also said. “I eagerly anticipate exploring opportunities to continue contributing to the sport in a different capacity.”
You can read Kluber’s full statement here.
Nicknamed “Klubot,” Kluber spent most of his MLB career with the then-Cleveland Indians (from 2011-19). He was a generationally great pitcher at his peak, winning two AL Cy Young Awards in 2014 and 2017. Kluber also made three straight All-Star teams from 2016-18 and was the ace of the Cleveland team that came just one victory away from winning the World Series in 2016.
In more recent years, Kluber had struggled with injuries (likely stemming from a 2019 fracture in his pitching arm off a line drive) and had bounced around with the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and Red Sox. Kluber did memorably throw a no-hitter with the Yankees in 2021 but had posted a combined 4.70 ERA over the last three seasons (including an ugly 7.04 ERA last season in Boston). Now he is calling it a wrap after 13 seasons and over $85 million in total earnings.
