Clayton Kershaw Agrees to New Contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers have reached an agreement on a new contract, ensuring that one of the greatest players in franchise history will remain with the team.
Kershaw Agrees to New Contract
Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers have reached agreement on a new contract, ensuring that one of the greatest players in franchise history will remain with the only organization he has ever pitched for, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.
Kershaw, who turns 36 in March, will take his physical at the Dodgers' spring training complex in Glendale, Arizona, within the next day or two, a source told ESPN. The Athletic reported that he will sign a one-year contract that includes a player option for 2025, creating the possibility that he could pitch in the same rotation as Shohei Ohtani next year.
Kershaw will spend at least the first half of the year recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
Dodgers' Pitching Rotation
The Dodgers can afford to wait. Tyler Glasnow and the newly signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto will make up the top of their rotation at the start of the season, and Walker Buehler, recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, will join shortly thereafter. The Dodgers also signed James Paxton over the offseason and have Bobby Miller locking down a spot, with the likes of Emmet Sheehan, Michael Grove and Gavin Stone also able to contribute.
Kershaw was expected to sign with either the Dodgers or his hometown Texas Rangers this offseason. The New York Post first reported the agreement.
Kershaw's Career and Injuries
A three-time Cy Young Award winner, an MVP and the predominant pitcher of his era, Kershaw has battled a string of injuries and a decline in velocity in recent years but has nonetheless continued to be exceedingly effective.
The most glaring example came late last season after Kershaw spent all of July sidelined by a sore shoulder. When he returned in August, he struggled to reach 90 mph and was kept on a conservative pitching schedule by the Dodgers. He still found a way to post a 2.23 ERA in eight starts over the last two months of the regular season -- his 16th with the team.
Over his 16 seasons, Kershaw has held opposing batters to a .209 average while going 210-92 with a 2.48 ERA, 2,944 strikeouts and just 669 walks. He has also made 39 appearances in the postseason, starting 32 games, with a 13-13 record, a 4.49 ERA and 213 strikeouts.
