When the Red Sox signed Corey Kluber to a one-year, $10 million deal over the winter, it was with the idea that he could become a dependable, middle-of-the-rotation starter for them.
It helped that Kluber had pitched in the American League East the last two seasons, and after a stretch when he made just eight starts across two seasons, he had again proven himself healthy.
The Sox were under no illusions that they were getting the same Kluber who won two Cy Young Awards in the span of five seasons while finishing third in the voting two other times. Age and injuries had robbed Kluber of the dominant stuff he used in that five-year span to become one of the best pitchers in the game, but even at 37, there was more there.
So far, however, it hasn't been on display. Kluber was tagged for seven runs in five innings in the Red Sox' 10-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins Wednesday. In four starts now, he's given up fewer than four runs just once. Worse, he's had a habit of being beaten by the long ball, with six homers allowed in just 18 innings.
One of those -- a three-run blast -- came in the first, and a second -- also with two men on board -- came just two innings later. The second homer put the Sox behind 7-0 and the Red Sox never got any closer than five runs from the visitors.
If homers have been one issue for Kluber, walks -- of all things -- have been another. Prior to giving up both homers Wednesday, Kluber issued a walk, upping the damage when balls are hit out of the ballpark. Kluber has uncharacteristically allowed eight walks, which is hardly in keeping with his career-long habit of strike-throwing.
Last season, he posted the lowest walk rate (3.1 percent) of his 13-year career. This season, at least through his first four outings, that control has been absent.
Taken separately, walks and homers can both be injurious to a pitcher's fortunes. Together, they're almost always lethal.
"We have to control traffic, that's the most important thing,'' noted Alex Cora. "After that, you avoid damage. Throughout his career, he's always (pitched) to the edges, but in the strike zone. And now, he's a little off the strike zone.''
Missing by an inch or so here and there is resulting in baserunners. And then, Kluber is compounding things by failing to properly execute his pitchers with men on base, too often leading to multi-run homers.
Unlike fellow 30-something Chris Sale, Kluber doesn't have the 95 mph fastball to generate swings and misses. He has to be precise with his location, with less margin for error. Lately, there have been too many mistakes.
"Ultimately it boils down to not executing pitches,''' said Kluber. "I think maybe being a little too fine early in counts might be part of it. Not that I'm trying to be. I think it's probably just a byproduct of not being in the zone.''
In Kluber's four starts to date, the Red Sox have lost each one of the games he's started. And it's not as if he's making up for mixed results by at least offering them length. Twice -- including Wednesday night -- Kluber has struggled to get through five innings. On Wednesday, recording just 15 outs required him to throw 103 pitches.
Soon, the Sox rotation is going to become more crowded. Already, with the return of both Garrett Whitlock and Brayan Bello, the Sox have -- temporarily at least -- opted to go with a six-man rotation. That is unlikely to last long, as the team will need reinforcements in the bullpen.
Sale, Whitlock, and Bello would seem to be rotation cornerstones. James Paxton, who was roughed up for seven innings in less than an inning of work in a rehab appearance for Worcester Wednesday night, is another possibility.
That doesn't include Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck or Kutter Crawford, giving the Sox plenty of quantity if not much in the way of proven quality.
If Kluber is to retain his spot in the rotation, he'll need to experience a turnaround. It's doubtful he has much interest in contributing in relief, having last pitched out of the bullpen a decade ago, when he was still trying to establish himself in the big leagues.
Four starts are too soon to pull the plug on someone with a proven track record. But his advanced age and early-season struggles have at least generated some alarm. There are alternatives on the roster.
A good first step for him would be to cut down on both the walks and homers. Both put Kluber and the Sox in an early ditch out of which neither could climb Wednesday night.