Dodgers Trying To Extend Kershaw This Week

[Johnnydollaz89]

The Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw are discussing an extension, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who reports that the team would like to have an agreement in place by Friday. Los Angeles' preference is to have a deal in place by the time the two sides are set to exchange arbitration figures.
Rosenthal notes that early in the negotiation process, the two sides discussed a 10-year, $250MM contract and a whopping 12-year, $300MM extension. Either deal would provide Kershaw with the largest contract ever signed by a pitcher. Rosenthal notes that a five-year opt-out would allow Kershaw to hit the open market again at age 30 and position himself for an even larger payday. The Dodgers gave Zack Greinke an opt-out after three years of his deal, and Kershaw has the same agent -- Casey Close of Excel Sports Management.
Kershaw is fresh off his third straight National League ERA title and his second Cy Young in three years, having pitched to a 1.83 ERA in 2013. Over the past five seasons, Kershaw has pitched to an incredible 2.43 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9, and his command has improved in each of those seasons. He averaged nearly five walks per nine innings as a 21-year-old in 2009 but averaged just two per nine innings last season. Kershaw's accomplishments make it seem as though he's older than he actually is, but incredibly, he's still entering just his age-26 season.
Any extension at the rates mentioned by Rosenthal would allow Kershaw to surpass the likes of Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez as the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history, and he could end up as the first player to secure a $300MM guarantee. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected an $18.2MM salary for Kershaw next season if the two sides simply work out a one-year deal via arbitration, but a long-term deal would obviously require a significantly larger annual value.

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Worth every penny.

 

[Silas]

Done deal. Time to extend Ramirez, sign Tanaka and fill out the bench.