Clayton Kershaw will continue playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers after he agreed to a $93 million three-year deal on Friday. The 30-year-old’s contract was due in 2020 but had the option to opt out as of last Friday.
Kershaw has been in Los Angeles for the past 11 seasons. He’s averaged 2.39 ERA in nearly 2100 innings, made it to the All-Star games seven times, won three Cy Young awards and won the league’s MVP in 2014.
In the recently completed World Series where the Dodgers lost to the Boston Red Sox 4-1, Kershaw seemed undecided of his future with the club.
After the World Series loss, Kershaw extended his opt-out timeline and began negotiating a contract extension deal. His previous deal with the Dodgers guaranteed $34.5 million in 2019 and $35 million in 2020. On Friday, the 30-year-old added $33 million to his contract and opted to remain in LA.
While Kershaw is one of the best players in the league, his performance in the last three seasons has been on a decline. A series of injuries have limited him to 175 innings in three seasons. His hit power has also lowered, averaging 91 mph as opposed to 95 mph ten years ago.
Despite the slight decline, Kershaw has remained the face of the Dodgers in the past five years. He’s well familiarized with the team. And despite their World Series back-to-back losses, he has quality players that could help push for a championship in the near future.
