User talk:“Kershaw will remain in LAD” 1+1 year contract agreed, 17th year of relationship
FA Clayton Kershaw, who is rehabbing after shoulder surgery, will remain with the Los Angeles Dodgers as expected. Both sides have agreed to re-sign.
MLBcom reported on the 7th (Korea time) that Dodgers' long-time franchise ace left-hander Clayton Kershaw has agreed to a new contract. The club has not confirmed the contract, but reported that he plans to officially announce the contract if he passes a medical test on Thursday.
This marks Kershaw's 17th MLB season with the Dodgers. However, Kershaw underwent surgery in early November last year to rebuild ligaments in his left shoulder and will continue his rehabilitation through this summer. At the time of the surgery, he said, "I hope to return sometime next summer."
After pitching the worst with one out and six runs in the first round of the Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks last year, he was known to have been agonizing over his retirement and extension of his career, but when he underwent surgery, people around him said he would retire. It was interpreted that he was excluded from the option
The specific terms of the contract renewal will soon be revealed, but the contract period is expected to be one year.
In a related move, The Athletic said, "Kershaw has agreed to a player option for 2025 and a one-year contract. In 2025, he said, he is likely to pitch in the same rotation as Shohei Ohtani.
Kershaw will continue his relationship with the Dodgers in the form of a one-year contract renewal for the third consecutive year since 2022. Kershaw, who became a free agent for the first time since the 2021 season, renewed his contract for one year and $17 million, and signed for $20 million after the 2022 season as a free agent again. Last year, he pitched 131 innings in 24 games despite being sidelined for 40 days due to a left shoulder injury in July, and pitched well with 13-5 record, 2.46 ERA, 137 strikeouts and 1.063 WHIP.
Kershaw is evaluated as one of the five best pitchers in Major League Baseball history. He has won three Cy Young Awards, one regular-season MVP, is a 10-time All-Star, and has a career record of 210 wins, 92 losses, 2,944 strikeouts, a 2.48 ERA, and a +157 ERA. In particular, his ERA+ is the second-highest ever for a pitcher to throw more than 1,000 innings, behind only Mariano Rivera (205). He is certain to enter the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Kershaw's heyday is considered his seventh season from 2011 to 2017. MLB.com reported, "During this period, he was an All-Star for seven consecutive years, ranking in the top five in Cy Young voting, going 118-41 with a 2.10 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 5.74 strikeouts and walks."
While attending Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas, Kershaw wore the Dodgers uniform as the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2006 draft. After two years of minor league education, he made his major league debut on May 26, 2008, against the St. Louis Cardinals, winning the National League Cy Young Award in 2011, 2013, and 2014.
