The 2024-25 offseason gives us a chance to take a look at marquee moves made five years ago. One trade, made on December 15, 2019, was a consequential one for both the Rangers and Guardians (fka Indians). The Rangers acquired form AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber to help their rotation. Cleveland, meanwhile, received Emmanuel Clase, their closer of the present.

What the Rangers Got

• SP Corey Kluber (0.1 bWAR with Rangers, 1.5 bWAR from 2020-23)

The 2019 season was a mercurial one for the Rangers, one that saw Texas win 78 games. The team’s pitching staff didn’t have much stability, particularly in their rotation.

The Rangers had four starters in 2019 — Mike Minor, Adrian Sampson, Lance Lynn, and Ariel Jurado — throw more than 100 innings. But while Lynn and Minor, both of whom posted 200+ strikeout seasons in 2019, Samspon and Jurado had ERAs north of 5.00.

Texas’ offense, however, was good. The Rangers finished middle of the pack in home runs (223) and OPS (.750), thanks to big bats like Shin-Soo Choo, Nomar Mazara, Willie Calhoun, and Rougned Odor. Odor hit 30 home runs in 2019, while Calhoun and Choo both eclipsed the 20-home run plateau.

With a promising, young offense and the prospect of trying to fill the recently-built Globe Life Field in 2020, the Rangers had high hopes that a good inaugural campaign in the new digs would give Texas success not seen in years.

Corey Kluber was, one could argue, the crown jewel of a busy offseason for the Rangers in 2019-20. Texas added veterans Kyle Gibson and Todd Frazier, then made the trade for Kluber, a two-time AL Cy Young winner. However, injuries ended Kluber’s run in Texas almost immediately.

Kluber, who missed most of 2029 with a right ulna fracture, threw just one inning as a Ranger, on July 26, 2020, in front of an empty crowd. It wasn’t a bad inning — one strikeout and no earned runs. However, the veteran righty left with an injury, a tear of his right teres major in his shoulder.

The Rangers’ brass said Kluber had no issues in summer camp and former GM Jon Daniels said the team was happy with how he was throwing. However, an injury of that magnitude — and in an abbrievated campaign — gave Kluber no time to come back.

Kluber’s injury was a microcosm of the Rangers’ 2020 season. Texas went 22-38 and wound up as sellers, trading Mike Minor at the deadline. As for Kluber, he wouldn’t throw another inning for Texas. The Rangers opted not to pick up his $18MM option for 2021, sending him to free agency.

The right-hander had a renaissance season with the Yankees in 2021, albeit an abbreviated one. Kluber struck out 82 over 80 with the Yankees and posted a 3.83 ERA. Ironically, Kluber faced the Rangers in May 2021 in Globe Life and no-hit Texas. Unfortunately for the Yankees, more shoulder problems shut down Kluber for three months.

He would pitch two more MLB seasons (2022 with Rays, 2023 with Red Sox) before announcing his retirement.

What the Guardians Got

• RP Emmanuel Clase (10.5 bWAR with Cleveland from 2020-24)
• OF Delino DeShields Jr. (0.0 bWAR with Cleveland, 0.2 bWAR from 2020-21)

Cleveland received two players in the trade: outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. and reliever Emmanuel Clase. DeShields only played 37 games with Cleveland and 62 MLB games overall after the trade. His numbers (11 XBH and .682 OPS) were not impressive. Clase, though, was a sensational add.

Emmanuel Clase posted awfully-impressive numbers as a rookie with the Rangers. Clase struck out 21 over 23.1 IP in 2019. However, what was more impressive was his explosive cutter that touched triple digits and a sky-high 36.1% Chase%.

Clase moved quickly through the Rangers’ farm system; he started 2018 in Short-Season A with Spokane. While the righty had quirks, including a quickly delivery that visually, could be hard to repeat, the stuff was elite.

However, good starters will always have more value than good relievers. Hence, why the Rangers were likely fine with giving up Clase, plus outfielder Delino DeShields, for a once-dominant starter in Kluber.

Cleveland’s decision followed a familiar pattern that fans of the team likely know well — one in which the team moves on from key names before losing them in free agency.

Known as the Indians at the time, Cleveland began a retool despite having a strong team, one that won 93 games in 2019. The Indians traded Trevor Bauer, slated for free agency after 2020, midseason. Cleveland also moved on Jason Kipnis after 2019.

The changes would continue deep into 2020, as the Indians traded Mike Clevinger in August 2020, then finished their retool by trading Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the Mets in early 2021.

Cleveland accrued significant assets in those deals: Cal Quantrill, Josh Naylor, Andres Gimenez, and former 30-home run hitter Franmil Reyes. Clase, however, might have been the best.

The right-hander didn’t pitch in 2020. Clase was suspended for PEDs and missed all of the shortened season but returned in 2021 with a vengeance. Clase struck out 74 over 69.2 IP, notched 24 saves, and finished fifth in the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year vote.

After 2021, Clase posted three consecutive 40+ save campaigns, made the All-Star Game three times, and finished third in the AL Cy Young vote in 2024. The 2024 AL Reliever of the Year, Clase notched 157 saves from 2021-24, most in baseball.

What truly turned the trade into a boon was a five-year, $20MM pre-arbitration extension that Clase signed after 2021. The deal also came with two $10MM club options, for 2026-27.

While it’s uncertain whether Clase will be in Cleveland by the time his contract his over, the Guardians won big.

Verdict

Look, it’s clear which team won this trade. Cleveland received a reliever who turned into arguably the best closer in all of baseball. Texas, meanwhile, got one inning of production from Kluber.

However, one interesting note on this deal is while the Rangers lost a star reliever, it didn’t stop Texas from their ultimate goal of winning a World Series. It took a bit of time and additional down seasons. Texas lost 102 games in 2021, then went on a spending spree in free agency.

The Rangers signed Marcus Semien (seven-year, $175MM) and Corey Seager (1-year, $325MM) to massive deals in the 2021-22 offseason. A year later, Texas added Jacob deGrom, Andrew Heaney, and Nathan Eovaldi. By that point, reinforcements like Josh Jung and Nathaniel Lowe developed into good Major Leaguers — and the rest was history.