Former Cy Young winner could become Cleveland Guardians next pitching coach

Legendary Cleveland Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis is reportedly pondering retirement.

The Guardians could potentially look to two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber to replace him, should Willis decide to hang it up.

Willis rejoined the Cleveland organization in 2017 following Mickey Callaway's departure for the New York Mets. In his eight seasons since, he continued to push Cleveland's reputation as a pitching factory forward and was seemingly always able to turn borderline pitchers into bona fide stars and is perhaps the most underrated position coach across MLB.

Kluber was maybe the most Cleveland pitcher of the 2010s, pitching to an ERA of 3.16, and amassing close to 1,500 strikeouts in his nine years in a Cleveland uniform. Not to mention his two Cy Young victories in 2014 and 2017, and top ten finishes in '15, 16, and '18.

With his icy cold stare and his emotionless demeanor on the mound, which earned him the nickname "Klubot," perhaps no pitcher electrified Progressive Field like Kluber.

During Cleveland's World Series run in 2016, Kluber further cemented his status as a Cleveland baseball legend. He made six starts in those MLB Playoffs and covered thirty four innings, pitching to a minuscule 1.83 ERA.

Following Cleveland's decision to trade him to the Texas Rangers, in 2019 (which in return landed Cleveland an All-Star closer named Emmanuel Clase) Kluber bounced around between the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox. Kluber ultimately called it a career following the 2023 season.

Then after a year away from the game, Kluber made his triumphant return to Cleveland in May, joining the coaching staff as a "special assistant." Most recently, he was seen chatting with former Indians catcher Yan Gomes in a 2016 battery reunion before the first pitch of Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers.