The Dodgers have brought back their longtime franchise ace, agreeing to a deal with southpaw Clayton Kershaw, sources told MLB.com on Tuesday. The club has not confirmed the transfer, pending a physical examination scheduled for Thursday.
Kershaw is scheduled to return for his 17th season in the major leagues, but after having surgery on his left shoulder after the Dodgers lost to the D-backs in the National League Championship, he is not expected to be able to return until next summer.
One of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, Kershaw is a former National League MVP, 10-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and World Series champion. He boasts a lifetime ERA of 2.48, and his 157+ ERA ranks second in American League history behind Mariano Rivera (205) among pitchers with at least 1,000 innings pitched.
His performance in the postseason has been spotty, most recently in Game 1 between the National League and Arizona, where he gave up six runs with just one out, and even managed to capture glory in the playoffs. The southpaw helped Los Angeles win the 2020 World Series title and started five games in that year's postseason, posting a 2.93 ERA.
Selected by the Dodgers seventh overall in the 2006 MLB Draft, Kershaw made his debut in 2008 and was instrumental in one of the most successful eras in franchise history, spending his entire career in Los Angeles. With Kershaw leading the rotation, the Dodgers have made the playoffs in each of the past 11 years, winning 10 National League West titles and three National League pennants during that time.
Kershaw peaked from 2011 to 2017, when he was named to the National League All-Star team and finished fifth or higher in National League Cy Young voting in all seven years. During that span, Kershaw started over 207 games and posted a 118-41 record with a 2.10 ERA (179 ERA+), 0.91 WHIP, and 5.74 K/BB ratio.
The native Texan won his first National League Cy Young Award in 2011, followed by another two years later. In 2014, he went 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 239 strikeouts in 198 1/3 innings, winning his third Cy Young Award and National League MVP Award.
Kershaw has managed to achieve great success in recent years despite facing injuries and a decline in speed. He has appeared in 133 games since 2018, posting a 66-28 record, 2.77 ERA (over 149 ERA), 1.01 WHIP, and 5.09 K/BB ratio.
