Cody Snavely
One of the last moves that had to be made today was the decision of veteran left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw‘s $10 million player option.
Well, from Major League Baseball’s Player Association Communications X page, we got official confirmation that the lefty has declined his player option and is now a free agent.
The lefty had already confirmed to multiple media outlets that he’d be back for the 2025 season and shared with Los Angeles Dodgers radio host David Vassegh that he would make it work somehow with the Dodgers to be a “Dodger for life.”
Kershaw, who missed most of the 2024 season rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery, made his much-anticipated debut against the San Fransisco Giants on July 25th.
The lefty would make seven total starts, but with a few clunkers thrown in, he had the highest ERA of his career at 4.50 and was placed on the 15-day injured list with that left big toe injury.
Kershaw would attempt to return for the Dodgers postseason run but was shut down shortly before the National League Division Series began.
During the Los Angeles Dodgers’ onfield celebration at Dodger Stadium, the team celebrated its eighth World Series Championship with a parade around the city. Kershaw confirmed to reporters that he’d undergo two offseason surgeries.
One, to address his toe — there’s more damage than the bone spurs, including a ruptured plantar plate. The second is to repair the meniscus in his left knee. His return date is to-be-determined.
It will be interesting to see what deal Kershaw is looking to get this offseason because if it is a multi-year deal, it’ll likely be the last of his already Hall of Fame career.
Per Spotrac, Kershaw’s market value is $7.1 million, which is less than his $10 million player option. Thus, this could be a way for the lefty to get an extra year or two to close out his career in Los Angeles.
Another reason Kershaw declined the option is to give the Dodgers roster flexibility. If he opted in, the 40-man roster would have thirty-nine players within the first days of free agency.
With Kershaw getting surgery, if he is re-signed, he will likely not be ready for opening day. The Dodgers can make the signing official and transfer him to the 60-day injured list like they did this past year, so the lefty is not taking up a valuable roster spot.
Per Bill Plunkett at the Orange County Register, Kershaw said Friday of his player option, “I don’t know (how that will play out). I’ll be back, somehow. I don’t care. I’ll be back.”
We hope that is true, as the lefty is just thirty-two strikeouts away from 3000, and we don’t want to see him in any other uniform.
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