Cody Snavely
The Los Angeles Dodgers offseason continues on as according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN the team has reportedly re-signed veteran left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw, keeping the future Hall of Famer in Dodger Blue for at least one more season.
Although Kershaw’s contract is not yet official, he was among Dodgers pitchers participating in Tuesday’s workout at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.
The deal comes as no surprise as Kershaw and the Dodgers have expressed interest in a reunion since the 2024 World Series celebration at Dodger Stadium in November. That sentiment was confirmed by Dodgers General Manager Brandon Gomes and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman who both shared their desire to retain the lefty.
“We’ve been in touch with Clayton, and a lot of it is seeing how he’s feeling throwing before we pick up those conversations,” said general manager Brandon Gomes at DodgerFest. “He is throwing and starting to get in the swing of it, so our expectation is to have more conversations at an in-depth level soon.”
Kershaw, 36, stated during the Dodgers 2024 World Series celebration that he would be a “Dodger for life” and do whatever it takes to ensure he only wears a Dodger uniform for his entire career. The front office shares that sentiment and, out of respect, has given Kershaw his time and privacy to return when ready.
Kershaw will be entering his 18th season and is only thirty-two strikeouts away from joining the illustrious 3000 strikeout club. Despite the age and injuries, Kershaw has been elite when healthy, posting a 2.46 ERA during the 2023 season.
Kershaw has a career 2.50 ERA and a combined 79.4 bWAR, which is the most of any Los Angeles Dodgers player in team history.
The official number of the deal is not yet known but it is s safe bet that it’s a one-year contract, but with the lefty declining his 1-year, $10 million player option earlier in the offseason perhaps a multi-year deal is something he was seeking.
The Dodgers to make the signings of Kiké Hernández and Clayton Kershaw official will have to make room on the 40-man roster. Currently the roster is full, but with teams reporting to camp the 60-day Injured List has also opened.
The Dodgers currently have five players that are likely to be transferred: Brusdar Graterol, River Ryan, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, and Kyle Hurt.
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