MLB News: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers Reportedly Agree to Contract in 2025 Free Agency
Clayton Kershaw has reportedly returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers for an 18th season after the two sides agreed to a deal.
Alden González of ESPN reported Kershaw and the Dodgers have agreed to terms, pending a physical, and that the pitcher is at the team facility.
Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed.
The Dodgers signed Kershaw to a two-year, $10 million contract in February 2024 that included performance bonuses if he hit certain thresholds. He declined his player option for 2025, but there was nothing to suggest he was going to leave the Dodgers as a free agent.
Kershaw's performance-based incentives were included because he had offseason shoulder surgery that kept him out of action until July. He made seven starts before being placed on the injured list at the end of August due to a bone spur in his left big toe.
The injury wound up keeping Kershaw sidelined for the remainder of the regular season. He was effective in his first few starts coming off the shoulder injury, posting a 2.63 ERA over 24 innings in five games from July 25 through Aug. 18.
Things fell apart for Kershaw in his next two starts with 12 hits and eight earned runs allowed in six innings before he landed on the IL.
Given the injury issues and uneven performance in 2024, there was some uncertainty about Kershaw's playing future. He told reporters when he re-signed with the team last offseason that being a pitcher who just hangs around to keep playing wasn't something that interested him.
"I've said it before, I don't want to be average. I don't want to just pitch to pitch," he said. "I want to be good. I want to contribute. I want to be a part of this and so yeah, my expectations are no concessions to just be good."
Kershaw ended any speculation about his playing future prior to Game 2 of the NLCS on Oct. 14 when he revealed he would be returning for the 2025 season.
"Obviously, I had some tough luck with my foot this year, [but] I want to make use of this [shoulder] surgery," Kershaw said. "I don't want to have surgery and then shut it down. So, I'm going to come back next year, give it a go and see how it goes."
This will be another offseason that Kershaw spends time rehabbing after surgery. He announced on Nov. 7 that he had a procedure done on his foot and knee with the goal to be "as good as can be" in 2025.
Kershaw did not announce a return timeline in his statement like he did after having his shoulder operated on last year.
While the Dodgers were waiting for Kershaw to make his decision, they were busy loading up for another run next season. Their offseason additions include Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott and brought back Teoscar Hernández.
The three-time NL Cy Young winner is one year removed from posting a 2.46 ERA in 24 starts during the 2023 campaign, so there is hope that he can be effective if injuries don't impact him when he does eventually return.
There seemed to be little doubt that if Kershaw was going to keep pitching, it would only be for the Dodgers.
Despite past rumors connecting him to the Texas Rangers because he is from Dallas, there has been nothing to suggest he wants to play for another organization besides the Dodgers.
Given Kershaw's likely low salary in 2025, the Dodgers have nothing to lose in giving a franchise icon another opportunity to prove he can be an asset in their quest to win a World Series with a still-loaded roster.
