While he is now 36-years-old, Corey Kluber is expected to fill a major role on the Boston Red Sox pitching staff this season. As he steps into his new role atop the Red Sox rotation, Boston couldn't be happier to have Kluber on board.

Red Sox General Manager Chaim Bloom has expressed the importance of limiting walks. Boston had the 11th-highest walk rate in 2022. In the later part of Kluber's career, he has been one of the best at finding the strike zone. Bloom praised Kluber's ability to hit the zone consistently and is hopeful his effort in that department resonates with the rest of the staff, via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

“It's one thing to do that when you're winning Cy Youngs and you have stuff that nobody else has,” Bloom said. “But to show the willingness and ability to do it when you're in a different phase of your career, I hope that will set a really good example for the whole staff.”

Kluber's 69.5 percent strike rate was the second-highest among starting pitchers who faced at least 500 batters, Rosenthal noted. Furthermore, Kluber threw a first-pitch strike 68.3 percent of the time. Both were new career-highs for the right-hander.

Corey Kluber started 31 games for the Rays last season, his most since 2018. He pitched to a 10-10 record with a 4.34 ERA and a 139/21 K/BB ratio. Kluber holds a 113-71 record over his 12-year MLB career with a 3.31 ERA and a 1,683/347 K/BB ratio. He's a three-time All Star and a two-time Cy Young winner.

Kluber may not put up the numbers he did earlier in his career, but he is a solid, consistent option for the Red Sox. Bloom and company are hoping that consistency permeates through the Red Sox roster.