On Jan. 17, 2014, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced a seven-year, $215 million extension with franchise cornerstone Clayton Kershaw, giving him the largest contract in the organization’s history at the time.
The Dodgers were able to come to an agreement with Kershaw one year before he would have been eligible for free agency.
Kershaw’s new contract with the Dodgers not only made him the highest paid pitcher in MLB at the time, but it was also the highest-ever annual salary for a baseball player at $30.7 million per year.
It was a much deserved contract for a player on a Hall of Fame track, and who by now is a certified first-ballot Hall of Famer. At just 25 years old, Kershaw became only the third pitcher in MLB history to lead the Majors in ERA for three straight seasons and won two National League Cy Young awards up to that point.
Additionally, he had led the NL in strikeouts twice, won a Gold Glove award and captured the pitcher’s triple crown in 2011.
In 2013, Kershaw had a minuscule 1.83 ERA and racked up 232 strikeouts while logging 236 innings. It was his fourth consecutive season reaching at least 200 strikeouts, a trend that continued the following two seasons.
While the 2013 season was his best season up to that point and one of the best of his career in the present, he surpassed even the loftiest of expectations following his big payday with a 2014 season for the ages.
Kershaw’s dropped his ERA to 1.77 while increasing his strikeout percentage to a ridiculous 31.9%, which is only bested by his 2015 mark. Opponents only hit .196 against Kershaw and he only issued 31 walks all season, which contributed to his 0.86 WHIP.
He also tossed a 15-stikeout no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies on June 18, 2014.
Kershaw was rewarded for his efforts with the third Cy Young award of his career as well as the NL MVP award, becoming just the 25th full-time pitcher to win the award. He also became just the 11th pitcher to win both a Cy Young and MVP award in the same season, as 14 pitchers won the MVP award before the Cy Young award was established.
Clayton Kershaw’s extension history
Kershaw did not end up playing out the entirety of the initial seven-year contract. Faced with the decision to opt out of the final two years of his contract, Kershaw instead agreed to a new three-year, $93 million extension.
The new deal basically added a year and $28 million to the previous agreement, keeping him under contract through 2021. Now in the twilight of his career, Kershaw has switched his strategy to signing a series of one-year deals.
He still remains unsigned for 2025, but has verbally and publicly committed to re-signing with the Dodgers.
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!
