Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — Well, that didn’t take long now, did it? Not even 24 hours after not tendering Clayton Kershaw a qualifying offer, the Dodgers reached a deal with their three-time Cy Young award winner. He’ll be back with the Dodgers for 2023. At least. Best news we’ve heard all month. Order has been restored to the baseball universe.
Though we couldn’t imagine it any other way, Kershaw was not fully committed to returning at season’s end. However, we are now hearing that the longtime ace has agreed to a one-year deal worth around $20 million with the only organization he has known since he was drafted in 2006, according to John Heyman of the New York Post.
Kershaw strong again in 2022
Kershaw entered the season behind schedule, waiting until after the lockout to re-sign with the Dodgers. But once he got rolling, he was as good as he’s been in the last five years or so. He announced his return with authority in a seven-perfect inning performance in his very first start on a rainy afternoon in Minneapolis against the Twins.
A strong season would follow, with Kershaw getting the start for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game as the Dodger Stadium local hero and taking another perfect game into the eighth inning against the hapless Angels. A lower back injury — a frequent occurrence for him —landed him on the IL twice during the year, but he was still effective as ever when on the mound.
Kershaw finished the season with a 2.28 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 126 1/3 innings. His one start in the postseason wasn’t as effective as it could have been, a six-inning no-decision in Game 2 against the Padres. However, it was more the Dodgers inability to hit with runners in scoring position that ultimately doomed that game and the series at large.
So what can we expect from Kershaw in 2023? Well, at 34, he isn’t that old — younger than Verlander and Scherzer, the same age as Jacob deGrom. However, his early start in the big leagues has put a lot of innings on that talented left arm of his. He is fourth among active pitchers in innings pitched, trailing only Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Sooner or later that has got to take a toll. But, if he is used wisely, and given the extra day off here and there during the season, there’s no reason why he can’t deliver next season.
With Julio Urias the number one guy in the rotation and Tony Gonsolin having a breakout year, Kershaw will no longer be looked at as THE guy on the team. However, as a two or three starter, he has a bright future ahead of him. He will be especially important next season in light of Walker Buehler being unavailable for much of the year, if not all, due to Tommy John surgery. This would make a potential rotation look like Urias, Kershaw, Gonsolin, May, and (hopefully) Anderson. That’s pretty darn good right there.
Now Clayton and Ellen can go back to Texas and relax a bit before the new season begins. Let’s go, Dodgers!
