Dodgers Rumors: Clayton Kershaw Expected to Sign New Contract with LA in Free Agency

Veteran starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw is reportedly expected to re-sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported Friday that there is "heavy industry expectation" Kershaw will remain with the only MLB team he has ever played for.

MLB free agency is open once again after the Major League Baseball Players Association and MLB agreed to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday, thus ending a three-month lockout.

Kershaw, 33, has spent his entire 14-year MLB career with the Dodgers, establishing himself as a likely future Hall of Famer.

The powerful lefty is 185-84 with a 2.49 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 2,670 strikeouts over 2,454.2 innings. He is also an eight-time All-Star, a three-time National League Cy Young Award winner, one-time NL MVP Award winner and a one-time World Series champion.

From 2011 to 2017, Kershaw finished fifth or better in the Cy Young Award voting each season, winning it three out of four years from 2011 to 2014.

Kershaw has won 20 or more games in a season twice during his career, struck out 200 or more batters in a season seven times and posted an ERA under 3.00 11 times, including going under 2.00 three times.

The one knock on Kershaw for many years was his lack of playoff success, but he put the criticism to bed in 2020 when he went 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA in five postseason starts en route to the Dodgers winning the World Series.

Injuries have nagged Kershaw in recent years, as he hasn't started at least 30 games in any of the past six seasons.

That includes being limited to 22 starts last season when he missed time with a forearm injury. Kershaw was also shut down for the playoffs due to arm pain.

Kershaw's 2021 production wasn't up to its usual level either, as he went 10-8 with a 3.55 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 144 strikeouts in 121.2 innings.

Still, Kershaw can be a highly effective pitcher when healthy, and it is difficult to envision him in a uniform other than that of the Dodgers.

If Kershaw does indeed return, he will be a big part of a starting rotation that also includes Walker Buehler, Julio Urias and possibly Trevor Bauer if the latter is cleared to pitch after being placed on administrative leave last season amid an investigation into sexual assault allegations.