UPDATE (March 11, 3 p.m. PT): Clayton Kershaw reportedly agreed to re-sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a one-year contract for the 2022 regular season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been open about their desire to not only re-sign Clayton Kershaw in free agency, but also have the three-time Cy Young Award winner ultimately retire after only playing for the franchise that drafted him.
The 33-year-old became a free agent after the 2021 season for the first time in his career. On two separate occasions Kershaw previously signed a contract extension to remain with the Dodgers without hitting the open market.
While Kershaw has been mum on the topic, the three prevailing theories regarding his future have been re-signing with the Dodgers, joining the Texas Rangers, or retiring because of a left flexor tendon injury.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, one of Kershaw’s former teammates believes he will ultimately decide between signing with the Rangers or retire:
One former teammate of Dodgers three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw believes that he’ll either pitch for his hometown Texas Rangers or retire, and not return to the Dodgers.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward — who was the Dodgers’ third base coach from 2016-18 — acknowledged prior to the MLB lockout beginning that communication had been made with Kershaw. Corey Seager also admitted to recruiting his former Dodgers teammate after signing a 10-year, $325 million contract with Texas.
Should the 2014 National League MVP sign with the Rangers, the Dodgers would not receive any sort of compensation due deciding against extending a qualifying offer for the 2022 regular season.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained the team did not want to place any sort of timeline on Kershaw considering he was still in the early stages of recovering from his flexor tendon injury.
Will Kershaw retire?
Although retirement has often been speculated as a possibility for Kershaw, his recent comments about preparing for the regular season in spite of the lockout certainly suggest otherwise.
What Kershaw did cast doubt on — and it held true — was if Spring Training would start on time because collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations were still ongoing.
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