Watching Clayton Kershaw this season, it seems like he can do it forever.
But, he’s still one of the best pitchers in baseball every time he’s on the mound.
Not every pitcher is as lucky.
There have been a number of formerly very good pitchers that aren’t just average this season.
They’ve looked awful.
I’m talking last season of Parks and Rec bad.
It happens to the very best in the game.
Steve Carlton went 15-29 with a 5.72 ERA in his last three seasons.
Bob Gibson had a 5.04 ERA in is final year.
He hasn’t been the same since fracturing his arm in 2019.
There has been a series of injuries since then like abdominal and shoulder tightness.
He did throw a no-hitter for the Yankees in 2021 but then had a shoulder strain shortly after that.
He did pitch a full season with the Rays last year but was ordinary at best.
The Red Sox were desperate to replace Nathan Eovaldi, Rich Hill and Michael Wacha in the off-season.
They wound up settling for Kluber and gave him $10 million.
His once great control seems to have vanished.
He already has 8 walks in 18 innings.
Kluber faces the Orioles tonight.
Carrasco seems like a good guy who has an amazing story of beating leukemia.
He’s one of the biggest philanthropists in baseball and won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2019.
All of those things are very admirable.
He’s also had a horrible start to his season.
In Carrasco’s defense, he may be more hurt than washed up.
Then again, both things can also be true.
His contract is up at the end of the season and he’s 36.
This is another domino in Correa not signing with the Mets.
Even last year, he did take a step back but still had an ERA under 4.
This year, it seems like he got old overnight.
Is Lynn’s struggles related to the pitch clock?
Marty Mush has speculated that heavier pitchers are having a hard time pitching in rushed situations.
Lynn has his listed weight of 275 so he certainly qualifies.
The White Sox do hold a club option for Lynn for next year for $18 million.
Sale was off to a Hall of Fame career before everything got derailed after the 2018 season.
He’s only made 16 starts since the pandemic started.
I’ve written a bunch about him already.
It’s a sad ending to a great career.
At least Kluber will be gone next year.
Sale is signed for next year at $27.5 million.
His start last night inspired this blog.
He didn’t get a single strikeout and gave up a hit to everyone in the Orioles lineup.
This is a guy that struck out 308 in 2017.
That’s the 50th most all-time by anyone in one year.
He’s 73rd all-time in strikeouts for an entire career.
As it stands, he only has 114 career wins.
That’s Hall of the Very Good material.
He was lousy in 2021-22 but at least he could eat up innings.
If he could at least pitch that well, he could have value to some teams (Oakland?
Kansas City?).
Along with Sale, he’s another guy that was probably 2-3 years away from Cooperstown.
He doesn’t have the regular season resume but that post-season excellence deserves a look.
I just don’t think 134 career wins is enough to get in.
I’m also not certain any team will give him much of a look.
He’s only 33 but al those innings in October seem to have taken a major toll.
Other than Snell, Sale will get the longest leash of anyone on this list.
The commitment to him for next year will ensure that.
The good news is the end rarely effects the legacy.
Look at Steve Carlton.
He’ll always look weird as a Twin.
