The Los Angeles Dodgers went into the offseason with a number of question marks after losing to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, but none bigger than ace Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw had two years and $65 million remaining on his contract and held the ability to opt out and test free agency for the first time in his Major League career. Though that appeared an unlikely scenario when he and the Dodgers agreed to push back the deadline for a decision.
That was followed two days later by the sides coming to terms on a contract extension early in the offseason. The deal calls for Kershaw to remain in Los Angeles on a new three-year, $93 million contract.
The decision to stay with the Dodgers was a relatively easy one for Kershaw as he highlighted the team’s ability to have a chance to win every year as a big reason for staying put, via Ronald Blum of the Associated Press:
“It was more valuable to me to just stay here,” he said. “A chance to win every single year, it doesn’t come around like this in LA very often.”
Kershaw took a lot of criticism in 2018 as he was on the disabled list for the fourth time in the last five years. He also looked to be on the decline as his velocity was significantly lower than the rest of his career.
For that reason, Kershaw said he is hoping to prove all the doubters wrong with a bounce-back season in 2019. He also added this his biggest personal goal is to avoid going on the disabled list.
Kershaw has accomplished a lot in his 11 years with the Dodgers, being named an All-Star seven times, winning three Cy Young Awards and an MVP. The one thing he has yet to accomplish is winning the World Series, and this new extension in theory gives him three more viable opportunities to reach that ultimate goal.
