The Los Angeles Dodgers will soon begin their first season in the post-Clayton Kershaw Era, but hope his absence from the building won’t last forever.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman offered Kershaw a role in the Dodgers front office last year, but he politely declined it in favor of spending more time with his family.
Kershaw has expressed his excitement to be free away from baseball for the time being, but also feels melancholic about no longer being on the mound.
It’s clear that while the future Hall of Famer has enjoyed the extra family time and free time that comes with no longer being a professional athlete, he also misses being around the game.
Friedman hopes this desire to stay connected to the game will eventually bring Kershaw back home to Dodger Stadium. During an appearance on “Dodgers Territory,” he gave Kershaw another sales pitch to come work with the Dodgers:
“Hopefully, we are fortunate enough to get him to work with us, but it won’t be the same not having him around on a daily basis. We signed him last year to help provide depth, and obviously anytime Clayton Kershaw wants to go at it, you want that competitor on your side. But for him to finish second in innings on our team, based on the conversations in March and how much time he was going to miss to start the year, just isn’t surprising with that guy. So, beyond what he means over his career and the impact he’s had on this city, the impact he has on our clubhouse, he was also still really good. So missing out on all of those things are a very real point, but hopefully we have the depth and the talent around, and then some of his influence around that to help bring it up even more.”
“That was my shameless plug, Kersh, in case you’re listening. Come work with us.”
Kershaw will briefly come out of retirement to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic in the hopes of achieving one final accolade before calling it quits for good. Additionally, he is joining NBC Sports as a pregame analyst for its exclusive MLB Postseason coverage of all Wild Card games on NBC and Peacock.
It could be some time until Kershaw considers the Dodgers’ offer, as he currently has a lot on his plate between his new role with NBC Sports and the recent arrival of his fifth child.
What role could Clayton Kershaw play in Dodgers front office?
Should Kershaw ever wish to accept Friedman’s offer, he could join the Dodgers front office in a full-time role or as a special advisor.
In the meantime, Kershaw still figures to make occasional appearances at Dodger Stadium and could help the team’s pitching staff at Camelback Ranch during Spring Training workouts.
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