The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly signed Clayton Kershaw to a one-year deal, pending a physical, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. It is unclear when the 18-year veteran will pitch in a regular season game this year. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is still recovering from multiple off-season surgeries to fix his knee and big toe. As a result, Kershaw will begin the year on the 60-day Injured List.
Report: Clayton Kershaw Returns to Dodgers on One-Year Deal
Clayton Kershaw is here. His signing isn’t official, per source, as he still has to complete a physical. But it should come as no surprise.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 11, 2025
A Plethora of Pitching Options
At first glance, it would seem that the Dodgers have an over-abundance of choices for the starting rotation. They have signed free agents Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell. In addition, Tyler Glasnow and Dustin May will be returning from injury as well. It remains to be seen where Kershaw will fit. However, Los Angeles would much prefer having too many choices than too few considering what happened last season when every member of the rotation ended on the I.L.
Milestone Maker
No one would fault Kershaw if he chose to retire. After all, the multiple Cy Young Award Winner and Most Valuable Player has two World Series rings, as well as the lowest Earned Run Average among active starting pitchers at 2.50. It is also a career in which the left-hander posted a span of 193 starts that he was able to throw at least seven innings and compile an ERA of 1.99.
The Big Question
Those seven-inning starts may be in the past, but there are still things he wishes to accomplish. For example, if Kershaw is able to see any time on the diamond this year, he will most likely accumulate 3000 strikeouts, a mark that he is just 32 shy of at the moment. He only needs to stay healthy. The fact that Kershaw could be a part of another World Series run would be the icing on the cake of a stellar career.
As of now, regardless of what happens this season, Kershaw is one of the greatest left-handers of all-time. There is no question about that.
Main Photo Credits: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
