Kershaw Returns to Los Angeles on One-Year Deal

On October 1, within the a hundred and sixtieth sport of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2021 season, Clayton Kershaw confronted 10 Milwaukee Brewers batters and recorded simply 5 outs. He didn’t look proper, and it might quickly be revealed that he was experiencing left forearm discomfort. Three weeks later, the Dodgers watched from the dugout because the Atlanta Braves celebrated profitable the Nationwide League pennant. It marked the conclusion of a disappointing postseason run that didn’t characteristic an look from Los Angeles’ rotation stalwart.

The general public hypothesis about his future started. Was that the final time we’d see Kershaw in Dodger blue? Would the proud Texan and devoted household man resolve to spend the latter a part of his profession along with his hometown Rangers? Because it seems, the reply to each of these questions was “no.” On Friday afternoon, the pitcher signed a one-year deal to return to the one workforce he’s ever identified, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. He’ll obtain a base wage of $17 million, with incentives that would get him nearer to the $20 million-plus AAV most projected for him.

Few within the historical past of the sport can match Kershaw’s five-season run from 2011-15, when he received a trio of Cy Younger Awards (he additionally boasted second and third place finishes throughout that stretch) whereas accumulating 37.1 WAR. He isn’t that pitcher anymore — anticipating him to be can be silly — however even the late-career model of Kershaw continues to be rattling good, and he deserves credit score for adapting his sport over time.

Kershaw’s arsenal isn’t sophisticated, consisting primarily of fastballs and sliders, with the occasional curve. (Whereas Kershaw has a changeup, its use is exceptionally uncommon, to the purpose the place he’ll typically go total begins with out throwing one in any respect.) In his prime, Kershaw sat 93-95 mph along with his fastball and will attain again for just a few additional ticks when the scenario referred to as for it; nowadays, he’s extra 89-92. That type of velocity drop can finish careers, however Kershaw’s heater stays extremely efficient on account of a mix of plus-plus command and one of many extra helpful fastball shapes round, because it options glorious hop and close to 12:00 vertical form.

From there, Kershaw dips into his breaking balls, which he throws greater than half of the time. Like his fastball, his upper-80s slider is exclusive for a number of causes. With such a small velocity differential between it and his fastball, the slider is exceptionally tough to establish out of the hand, and its late, diving motion typically leaves opposing hitters swinging on prime of it. As for his curveball, it’s one of many deepest in baseball as measured by vertical motion. Its excessive break is sort of an excessive amount of, because it makes it tough to land within the zone, which means Kershaw can actually solely use it as a chase pitch.

Age and workload (he threw 1,128 innings, or greater than 225 per season, throughout that 2011-15 stretch and turns 34 this month) have caught as much as Kershaw lately, and he’s frolicked on the injured record on account of points along with his again and shoulder, in addition to 2021’s elbow issues, which value him two months and required a platelet-rich plasma injection last October. That signifies that whereas Kershaw can nonetheless present high quality innings, he’s not prone to throw as a lot of them as he as soon as did, and his latest well being observe report appears prone to have been what restricted Los Angeles’ provide to at least one 12 months.

As for the place he matches with the 2022 Dodgers, Kershaw will assume one in all three set-in-stone rotation spots, together with Walker Buehler and Julio Urías. That trio would make most playoff groups jealous, however with a view to get to these playoffs, the membership might want to shore up the final two starter slots. Buehler, Urías and Kershaw can solely moderately be anticipated to start out someplace round half of the workforce’s video games, which leaves half a season of begins going to the likes Tony Gonsolin and Andrew Heaney and certain means the Dodgers will look so as to add no less than another reliable starter earlier than the season kicks off. (On Friday, MLB positioned Trevor Bauer on administrative depart through March 19; the league’s investigation into allegations of assault against the pitcher is ongoing, and will nonetheless lead to a suspension.)

The entire worries in regards to the finish of Kershaw’s Dodgers profession had been for naught, no less than for one more 12 months, and if he continues to submit seasons in keeping with what we noticed in 2021, there are prone to be extra short-term contracts with the workforce that drafted him in his future. Offered he stays comparatively wholesome, meaning Kershaw, who’s on tempo to register his 2 hundredth win and 3000th strikeout by late 2023 or early ’24, might rejoice these milestones in Dodger blue.