3-05-2021 7:48pm

Making Sense Of The Corey Kluber And Jameson Taillon Acquisitions

Vijai Naraine Editor

Even though it is just spring training, the newly acquired pitching assets are really showcasing their best stuff.

First off lets take a dive into the acquisition of Corey Kluber because his signing certainly had many Yankee fans on edge due to his injury history with other baseball organizations. Nevertheless, the veteran righty certainly reminded everyone of why he has become one of baseball's premiere starting pitchers by throwing a stellar game in his pinstriped spring training debut.

On March 3, 2021, Kluber took the hill against the Toronto Blue Jays and he put on a dominating performance for the first time in a Yankee uniform. As the righty showcased his veteran-like arsenal at George M. Steinbrenner Field, he most likely halted the injury chatter around his name. The pitching performance certainly reiterated why he earned the Klubot nickname considering all the awards he has compile under his belt throughout his career.

The way he was pitching on Wednesday evening certainly portrayed why he became a three time All-Star, won the Cy Young award three times, and earned the ERA Title back in 2017. If the way he was pitching that evening was any indication of what is to come in 2021, then it surely should be an interesting season. Now of course, if Kluber pitches the way he pitched in his spring debut during the full length of the upcoming season, then it surely is safe to say that Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees got themselves a steal.

In his debut, Kluber managed to mow down the six batters he faced and that included striking out three. That being said, the baseball never left the infield during time he was out on the mound at the Steinbrenner complex.

After his spring outing, Kluber said, "We've touched on it before, I don't think that I feel like I'm out there with any thoughts of the injuries or anything like that...." The 2x Cy Young winner also added that, "....In my mind, I'm in a good spot. I'm just trying to prepare for the season the best I can..."

With Aaron Boone on a brief medical leave of absence, undergoing surgery to get a pacemaker on Wednesday night, bench coach Carlos Mendoza was handling the managerial duties with Kluber on the mound.

After the Yankees closed out a 4-1 victory, according to Mendoza, "It was good to see him out there competing after going through the rehab process..." According to the Yankee bench coach, he said "...I thought his pitches were really good, movement on the cutter and slider, he threw a couple changeups, the fastball had life. He looked pretty good."

Kluber's first strikeout ended a nine-pitch first, getting first baseman Rowdy Tellez looking. Then, he started the second inning with a sweet two-pitch combo to sit down catcher Danny Jansen.

"He's a dog out there," Stanton said. "....I mean, he's gonna come pump the zone and carve up these hitters and not be fazed. I'd say that's the main thing I've taken from watching him over the years. He's just unfazed by whatever happens out there. Very poised."

Overall, he has made a stellar impression on the Yankees before the 2021 season officially gets underway.

According to Max Goodman of Sport Illustrated, he wrote in an article under the FanNation section saying that:

"After pitching a grand total of one inning in 2020 with the Texas Rangers due to a season-ending shoulder injury, question marks hung over Kluber this offseason as he searched for a new team. Could the right-hander return to the perennial dominance he established with the Cleveland Indians not too long ago?"

Goodman also said, "...As for what's next, with a month to go before the regular season, the 34-year-old said he'll focus on building endurance and fine-tuning his pitches...."

What About Jameson Taillon ?

So spring training is all about fine tuning and getting ready for the regular season and ultimately getting into the best shape for the end goal of a World Series opportunity.

At this point the Yanks need all the pitching they could get and in addition to acquiring Kluber, Cashman and the Steinbrenner family inked a signing with Jameson Taillon from the Pirates during this offseason. Taillon made his spring debut on Monday after not having pitched in a game since May 1, 2019. The former Pirate was nothing short of impressive, as he tossed just seven pitches across a 1-2-3 second inning for the Yanks - his first game in over 22 months.

Taillon didn't just impress the Yankees, he was pretty satisfied with how his spring debut went as well. As a matter of fact he said, "In my head, I was like ‘man, I wish I could have gotten a little more in game work there.’ But you know what, for the first one, shorter is better." Like Kluber, signing Taillon was a matter of taking a big chance because he too didn't pitch in a while.

“In my head, I was like ‘man, I wish I could have gotten a little more in game work there.’ But you know what, for the first one, shorter is better," Taillon said, who noted he got in some additional bullpen work. "...I’m healthy, I feel great. Just some of the little things - getting back into compete mode again, see how the delivery carries over – I’ll have to go back and watch video to see, but it felt really good, it felt clean, I feel healthy. Those are all the big takeaways..."

Feeling healthy!, that is the key for Kluber, Taillon and the rest of the New York Yankee staff. Once everyone stays healthy, the Yankees can and will be able to go deep on their chase for number 28.