When Cleveland traded Corey Kluber to Texas in 2019, I didn’t think it was a bad trade. The team was clearly trying to cut payroll and reload for the future, and Kluber was coming off a season where he pitched a total of 53 innings because of injuries. Sure, Kluber was a two-time Cy Young winner and led the league in wins as recently as 2017, but it still felt like the right time. And I trusted that the Guard’s front office saw something in the player they got back, relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase, despite being the Ranger’s #27 prospect.
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Needless to say, that trade was a masterstroke for the Cleveland brass. Last season Clase had one of the most dominant seasons of any closer in franchise history: he lead the league in appearances (77), games finished (67), and saves (42). He finished the year with a 1.36 ERA and 281 ERA+ and was selected to his first All-Star game. Clase was the cornerstone of one of the best bullpens in the game, which included Trevor Stephan (143 ERA+), Sam Hentges (165 ERA+), Eli Morgan (113 ERA+), Enyel De Los Santos (126 ERA+), Nick Sandlin (171 ERA+), and James Karinchak (185 ERA+).
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This is the only certified autograph that Emmanuel Clase has so far. I was smart enough to snag it when they first started showing up for sale, so I spent like $20 on it. It’s much more expensive now. I was hoping that he would sneak into a couple of sets this season, but it looks like we will have to wait for 2023 to see another….hopefully. I have heard he is tough in person, which is not great news. So until he gets another certified on-card autograph, I play to put out an $80 bounty, and hopefully, I get lucky in Spring Training or during the season.