2:00pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Publish reviews that Kershaw’s 2024 incentives are contingent on him making six to 10 begins this season. Any will increase to this 12 months’s base wage will even be mirrored within the worth of his participant possibility. Sherman additional provides that between these escalators and incentives particular to the 2025 season, Kershaw may earn as a lot as $25MM in 12 months two of the contract. That’d give him a complete incomes energy of $37.5MM over the 2 years of the contract.
1:20pm: Clayton Kershaw is heading again to the Dodgers. The crew introduced Friday that the left-hander has re-signed on a two-year assure — the second season of which is a participant possibility. Kershaw, a consumer of Excel Sports activities Administration, is recovering from November shoulder surgical procedure and isn’t anticipated to pitch till the second half of the season, on the earliest. He’s reportedly assured $10MM on the pact: $5MM in every season of the deal.
Kershaw can enhance that 2024 wage to $12.5MM based mostly on the variety of video games he begins this season. The variety of video games he begins also can enhance the bottom worth of his 2025 participant possibility. Proper-hander Tony Gonsolin was moved to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man roster spot for Kershaw. If and when the Dodgers want one other 40-man spot, Kershaw himself could be transferred to the 60-day IL.
Assuming he’s capable of go well with up in some unspecified time in the future within the second half, the 2024 season shall be Kershaw’s seventeenth pitching for the Dodgers, who chosen him with the No. 7 total decide within the 2006 draft. Accidents have begun to take their toll on Kershaw, who hasn’t reached 30 begins in a season since 2015, however the high quality of his outcomes stays largely fixed. From 2009-15, Kershaw averaged 32 begins per 12 months, received 4 straight ERA titles and took residence three Cy Younger Awards. Since 2016, he’s averaged simply 24 begins per 162-game season however maintained a superb 2.55 ERA — together with sub-2.50 marks in three of the previous 4 seasons.
Kershaw clearly wasn’t pitching at 100% for a lot of the 2023 season. A shoulder pressure landed Kershaw on the injured record in July, and supervisor Dave Roberts candidly acknowledged in September that he was pitching at lower than full energy. Los Angeles restricted Kershaw to 5 innings per begin for all however one begin in his return from the injured record (a 5 1/3-inning outing in his closing look of the season). Alongside the best way, Kershaw’s common fastball dipped to career-low ranges; he averaged simply 89.4 mph on his fastball in his return — together with simply an 88.7 mph common by means of his closing 4 begins.
Diminished velocity however, Kershaw remained fairly efficient. In eight post-IL begins he turned in a pristine 2.23 ERA. His 22.2% strikeout fee and 11.1% stroll fee had been each a methods from his pre-injury ranges (27.7%, 6.3%), however Kershaw seemed to benefiting from what he needed to supply on any given day. He didn’t enable greater than three runs in any of these closing eight appearances and in reality held opponents to at least one or zero runs in six of them. The D-backs ambushed him for six runs within the first inning of his lone NLDS begin, nevertheless, ending his season on a low level.
It’s not but clear when Kershaw may be capable of rejoin the Dodgers’ workers, although they’ll presumably present an replace when asserting his deal and discussing it with the media. A returning Kershaw within the second half will present some high-end insurance coverage for a Dodgers rotation that’s teeming with uncertainty. Proper-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto shall be adjusting to a brand new tradition and a brand new league in his debut marketing campaign this 12 months. Proper-hander Walker Buehler is in his first full season again from Tommy John surgical procedure. Southpaw James Paxton is a perennial damage danger. Younger righties Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone and Kyle Harm haven’t pitched full massive league seasons.
As already famous, Kershaw received’t be the one potential second-half addition for the Dodgers. The aforementioned Might underwent a Tommy John revision and flexor tendon restore in early July however may doubtlessly be again for the stretch run. Gonsolin, who underwent Tommy John surgical procedure in late August, looks like an extended shot to make it again however may doubtlessly accomplish that in a bullpen capability if his rehab performs out in a best-case situation.
The Dodgers are set to pay the luxurious tax for a 3rd straight season and are already effectively into the ultimate tier of luxurious tax penalization. As such, any {dollars} dedicated to Kershaw shall be taxed at a 110% fee. That apparently received’t be a deterrent as they welcome the long run Corridor of Famer again for a seventeenth season.
In 2712 2/3 innings although his massive league profession, Kershaw owns a 210-92 file, a 2.48 ERA, a 27.6% strikeout fee and a 6.3% stroll fee. He’s a ten-time All-Star with 5 NL ERA titles, three Cy Younger Awards and a Nationwide League MVP Award beneath his belt.
Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of the New York Publish first reported the Dodgers and Kershaw had reached an settlement. The Athletic’s Andy McCullough reported the presence of a 2025 participant possibility. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported the phrases of the deal.
