ST. PETERSBURG -- The first time Chris Archer met new Rays manager Kevin Cash at lunch there was no small talk.
Fastball down the middle: "What did Corey Kluber do to turn his career around?" Archer asked Cash, who'd been Cleveland's bullpen coach in 2014 when Kluber won the American League Cy Young Award.
Cash was amazed at the first question out of Archer's mouth. But now, after a season managing him, the skipper understands.
"For a young pitcher to realize this guy [Kluber] struggled for a time and [wanting to know] what was his secret to success in winning the Cy Young, it showed me a lot about where Archer's mind was and where he was headed," said Cash.