Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers aren’t missing much in Corey Kluber

Corey Kluber has officially been traded to the Texas Rangers, which might be disappointing for fans that expected him to go to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Corey Kluber trade rumors started off after the Los Angeles Angels signed Anthony Rendon and quickly resulted in a trade, as on Sunday morning it was reported that Kluber had been traded to the Texas Rangers (h/t ESPN). The Los Angeles Dodgers were viewed as one of the potential finalists for Kluber.

It was actually revealed after the trade was reported that the Dodgers were not as in on Kluber as some fans were led to believe. Jorge Castillo of The L.A. Times reported that the Dodgers were not in on Kluber recently, as the focus is still on Francisco Lindor and possibly Mike Clevinger.

Making a trade for Lindor or Clevinger is widely accepted as the better move for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but after seeing what the Texas Rangers traded for Kluber, you can’t help but wonder if the Dodgers could have easily package Kluber alongside Lindor, Clevinger, or both, for not that much of an increase.

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The Rangers are trading outfielder Delino Deshields Jr. and reliever Emmanuel Clase. DeShields is a speedy 27-year old outfielder with good fielding but not that special of a bat. Clase is a promising 21-year-old reliever who can hit 100 on the radar and had a 2.31 ERA in 23 and one-third innings with the Rangers last season.

Clase is now ranked as the 23rd-best prospect in the Indians’ farm system on MLB Pipeline. The Dodgers could have easily packaged a big-league power bat in Edwin Rios, who does not really fit in LA and a prospect such as Mitchell White, who is big-league ready.

The Dodgers could have easily added to a potential Lindor package to get Kluber, but I am not even sure the Dodgers should want or need him. With the team potentially signing either Madison Bumgarner or Hyun-Jin Ryu, as well as potentially trading for Clevinger, the Dodgers don’t need Kluber and the salary that comes with him.

Kluber was one of the five best pitchers in the league from 2014 to 2018 but it appears as if father time has caught up to him. He only pitched in seven games because of various injuries and when he was on the mound he was not great. He allowed 23 earned runs in 35 and two-thirds innings (5.80 ERA) with his highest hits per nine and walks per nine.

Granted, it was a small sample size so you can give Kluber a bit of a pass and I doubt he is that bad in a larger sample size. However, it is not just the numbers that are concerning about Kluber, as if stuff simply is not as good anymore either.

Kluber was in the 14th percentile in fastball velocity, the 57th percentile in curveball spin rate and the 71st percentile in fastball spin rate. Kluber has never been a flame thrower, but he did post the worst velocity numbers of his career.

He was also in the 71st percentile in curveball spin rate and 88th percentile in fastball spin rate in 2018, which shows how much he has declined.  He also posted the worst barrel percentage of his career (8.9%) and highest hard-hit percentage (38.4%). His second-worst marks in both came in 2018, showing that this is a downward trend.

There is a reason why the Indians did not get that great of a return for Kluber and a reason why the Los Angeles Angels, who desperately need pitching, did not make a trade that they easily could have afforded.

Don’t feel slighted that the Los Angeles Dodgers did not trade for Corey Kluber. Don’t get tied up in the big-name as Kluber, who will be 34 in April, is not the same Kluber that you think he is.