fbpx

Dodgers Rumors: Clayton Kershaw Re-Signed To 1-Year Contract

Blake Williams
3 Min Read
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports

Entering the offseason and MLB free agency, Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged addressing the starting rotation was going to be a focal point.

The Dodgers had three of their starters reach free agency in Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney, and only three under contract in Julio Urías, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May.

Friedman has routinely said his hope is for Kershaw to retire with the Dodgers, and that is now one step closer to happening.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Kershaw re-signed with the Dodgers on a one-year contract worth an estimated $20 million:

On Thursday, the Dodgers opted not to extend the qualifying offer to Kershaw, which would have paid him $19.65 million if he accepted it. While it was presumed the organization didn’t want to rush Kershaw into a decision, it seems more likely they decided to pass on extending the qualifying offer because of their negotiations.

The 34-year-old is coming off another strong season despite two back injuries that cost him multiple weeks of missed action. He went 12-3 with a 2.28 ERA, 2.57 FIP, 0.94 WHIP and 137 strikeouts in 126.1 innings over 22 starts.

Kershaw was also able to start the All-Star Game for the first time in his career, which fittingly came at Dodger Stadium, and passed Don Sutton to become the all-time Dodgers strikeouts leader. The future Hall of Famer finished the season atop the Dodgers’ all-time strikeouts list with 2,807 to Sutton’s 2,696.

Will the Dodgers add another starting pitcher after signing Clayton Kershaw?

Even after re-signing Kershaw, the Dodgers are likely to add at least one more starting pitcher this offseason, which could end up being Anderson.

The Dodgers extended the qualifying offer to Anderson, who now has until November 15 to decide if he wants to return to the team on the one-year deal.

Should he decline it, the 32-year-old could still re-sign with the club under different contract terms. If he leaves for another team, the Dodgers would be compensated with a selection after the fourth round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

Make sure to follow Dodger Blue on Instagram! It’s the best way to see exclusive coverage from games and events, get your questions answered, and more!

Follow:
Blake Williams is a journalist from Reseda, Calif., who is currently the Managing Editor for Dodger Blue. He previously worked as a Managing Editor for Angels Nation, as a staff writer at Dodgers Nation, as the Managing Editor and Sports Editor for the Roundup News at L.A. Pierce College, and as an Opinion Editor for the Daily Sundial at California State University, Northridge. Blake graduated Cum Laude from CSUN with a major in journalism and a minor in photography/video. He is now pursuing his master's degree from the University of Alabama. Blake is also always open to talk Star Wars with you. Contact: Blake@mediumlargela.com