The New York Yankees, who already have ace Gerrit Cole in their starting rotation, are adding another high-end starting pitcher. Corey Kluber is finalizing a deal to join the Bronx Bombers, pending a physical.

The Yankees have been hit by injuries to their starting rotation in recent years, and acquisition James Paxton did not max out with New York last season. Yet, those realities aren't the foremost reasons the Yankees aggressively pursued Kluber, a two-time Cy Young Award winner from his days with the Cleveland Indians who briefly pitched for the Texas Rangers.

The Yankees needed a pitcher with Kluber's stature and experience because the word on the street is that New York veteran pitcher Masahiro Tanaka will pitch in Japan, not Major League Baseball, in 2021. The Yanks just found their Tanaka replacement.

The Yankees continue the “rich get richer” reality of baseball, months after the wealthy and deep-pocketed Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series.

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Kluber threw a session open for scouts earlier in the week, and discussions seemingly progressed quickly from there with the Yankees. While Kluber isn't the Cy Young talent he once was, he's still a solid starter and a veteran.

Kluber has battled injuries over the past few years, so the 10 million the Yankees are reportedly giving him might seem a bit high. However, the Yankees have money to spend and are in need of starting pitching.

Before coming to the Yankees, Corey Kluber spent nine seasons with the Cleveland Indians before throwing just one inning in 2020 for the Texas Rangers. He led the majors in ERA (2.25) and wins (18) in 2017, and has posted double-digit wins in five seasons throughout his career. Kluber is 34 years old and faces the challenge of many pitchers who deal with wear and tear as they age.

The Yankees don't need Kluber's Cy Young version to reappear. They need him to pitch six innings and prevent American League opponents from getting big innings. That is regularly the task for non-ace pitchers in Yankee Stadium.