Yankees Set For Double Swoop

MLB giants, the New York Yankees have set to make a pair of excellent signings from the free agent market, after securing the services of right-hander Corey Kluber is a one year deal believed to be worth $11 million, while also agreeing a $90 million, six year contract to keep hold of batting champion DJ LeMahieu.

Both deals are subject to the two players passing a medical, but with no concerns expected to arise, Yankees fans can look forward to seeing the two players in the diamond this season.

 

Corey Kluber

Kluber, who was the AL Cy Young award winner in 2014 and 2017, help Cleveland to win 56 games between 2016 and 2018, before sadly being ruled out of the 2019 campaign from May onwards, through an injury caused by a comebacker from the bat of Miami’s Brian Anderson.

Transferred out of the club at the end of that season to Texas, Kluber then picked up a torn shoulder muscle injury on his debut for the Rangers, meaning he had to endure another season on the treatment table.

Thankfully, the injury did not require any surgery and was able to workout on the training fields in an attempt to get back to his best form that has seen him become a three-time All-Star who is 98-58 with a 3.16 ERA in 10 seasons.

As part of his move to the Yankees, Kluber will join a rotation unit that is currently led by Gerrit Cole and also includes the likes of Deivi Garcia, left-hander Jordan Montgomery, as well as Luis Severino, who is expected to return from a injury that has left him out of contention since February 2020.

There is also the possibility that Masahiro Tanaka could come back into the mix, although there are no guarantees that the Yankees will resign the Japanese pitcher after he became a free agent at the end of last season.

 

DJ LeMahieu 

As for LeMahieu, he turns 33 this summer, but Yankees supporters will still be delighted to see him play for the club again this season.

He became the first player to land undisputed batting titles in both leagues, and won his first AL batting title last term at .364 which was the highest AL batting average for a champion since Minnesota’s Joe Mauer notched .365 in 2009.

Like Kluber, he is also a multiple member of the All-Star’s club and originally cost the Yankees $24 million, when he signed on a two year deal back in 2019. Since then he hit 10 homers and 27 RBI’s in the COVID-affected 2020 season, after previously smashing .327 with 26 homers and 102 RBI’s during his first year in New York.

Prior to that, LeMahieu started his baseball career with the world-famous Chicago Cubs in 2011, before enjoying a spell with Colorado. It was there that he developed a .305 average with 85 homers and 478 RBI’s in 10 seasons in the big league, picking up three Gold Gloves along the way for his success at second base.

 

Major League Baseball Betting

The expected new recruits have caused some of the world’s largest bookmakers to change their ante-post odds ahead of the new MLB season, with the New York Yankees now the hot favourites to become the American League winner at around 5/2.

The Chicago White Sox are in there as second favourites at 4/1, the Minnesota Twins are 7/1 third favourites, while last year’s American League champs, the Tampa Bay Rays are surprisingly 9/1 to retain their titles with some bookies.

When it comes to the latest betting for the winner of the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers are currently priced up as the market leaders at 2/1 with most gambling firms. The San Diego Padres also have plenty of supporters for that title at 4/1, while the Atlanta Braves can currently be backed at 5/1.