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Cleveland wants to ensure Corey Kluber is an Indian for at least the next few seasons. According to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, the Indians and Kulber's agent met last week in Arizona to discuss a possible contract extension. The Indians appear confident a deal can get done, Kluber's agent, B.B. Abbott, told Heyman "the lines of communication are and will continue to be open."
Kluber, 28, posted a 2.44 ERA and 2.35 FIP in 235.2 innings pitched with the Indians last season. His success resulted in a 7.2 WAR, and his K/9 increased from 8.31 in 2013 to 10.27 in 2014.
Abbott reportedly had a meeting with Indians owner Paul Dolan, General Manager Chris Antonetti, and President Mark Shapiro last week. Cleveland is known to be open to extending its most productive controllable players, most recently signing Michael Brantley to a four-year, $25 million deal last offseason.
Coming off of an efficient 2014 campaign, Kluber notably increased his value. However, he is a pre-arbitration player who is under team control for four more years, and as a result may not be able to maximize the value of a potential deal.
Heyman notes that while Kluber is thought to be open to an extension, the two sides are "not close" on reaching an agreement. Abbott is known for his ability to get large deals done before his players become free agents, and recently helped Chris Sale receive a five-year, $32.5 million deal with the Chicago White Sox before he became arbitration eligible.
Although Abbott has had success in the past, Kluber's situation is different because of his age. Under his current contract, he would be close to 33 before hitting free agency. He is expected to be receive $601,000 in 2015, and has made just over $1 million in his in his professional career. Ultimately, the Indians want to get a deal done because of Kluber's success over the last two seasons. Kluber won the Cy Young Award in 2014.