5 under the radar free agents the Yankees should sign

3. Corey Kluber

Kluber will comfortably go down in history as one of the worst acquisitions in Rangers history. He arrived from the Indians with serious expectations, but only managed to throw a grand total of one inning in Texas before going down with a season-ending injury. Paying $10.5 million per inning is a luxury not even the Yankees can afford.

Fortunately for New York, they don’t need to be concerned with Kluber’s recent past. Their only concern should be on the veteran right-hander’s immediate future. He’s hitting free agency with a ton of uncertainty about his ability to help a team in 2021.

Any team interested in landing Kluber will need to take a long look at his medical records. If those do check out, he could generate more interest than many fans expect on the open market. He does possess the upside of being a No. 2 starter for a championship contender if his shoulder checks out.

The Yankees cannot afford to ignore any pitcher with that kind of upside. They don’t really need to add options to the back end of Boone’s rotation. The challenge will be finding a free agent pitcher who can make a postseason impact at a price New York can afford. Kluber could be a gamble worth making for the Yankees.