Report: Indians, Kluber 'not close' in contract talks

The Cleveland Indians and ace Corey Kluber reportedly remain far apart in their efforts to strike a long-term contract extension.

Kluber, whose dominance was rewarded last year with the AL Cy Young Award, is under club control for the next four seasons and isn't eligible for free agency until 2019. 

The 27-year-old right-hander is said be open to an extension prior to entering his arbitration years, though the two sides failed to make progress in talks after meeting last week in Arizona, a source told Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The source described the negotiations as "not close" between the Indians and Kluber's agent, B.B. Abbott.

Coming to terms on a long-term deal would be a show of good faith from the team to Kluber, who led all AL pitchers with 7.2 wins above replacement (FanGraphs) in 2014. 

Kluber, who threw a career-high 235 2/3 innings last season, is set to earn $601,000 this season after receiving a modest bump from last year's league minimum.