Los Angeles (AFP) - Clayton Kershaw, the three-time Cy Young Award-winner who helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 2020 World Series, will be with the club at least one more year, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.
The newspaper said free agent Kershaw had agreed to terms on a one-year Major League Baseball deal that will become official once he passes a physical.
Kershaw, a future Hall of Famer, has spent his entire career with the Dodgers, who drafted him in 2006.He made his MLB debut at Dodger Stadium two years later.
But, according to the Times, the left-hander was seriously considering signing as a free agent with his hometown Texas Rangers.
Kershaw, 33, made more than $200 million over the last seven seasons but his productivity has waned.
Last season, he had a 3.55 earned run average over 121 2/3 innings in 22 starts and an elbow injury brought his 2021 campaign to a close before the playoffs.
Even if his velocity is down, Kershaw can be a formidable weapon in the Dodgers' pitching rotation, which will now be without Max Scherzer, who moved to the New York Mets as a free agent in November after less than a season in Los Angeles.
Kershaw is also a beloved figure among Dodgers fans and will provide a veteran presence in the clubhouse -- which will be without shortstop Corey Seager after his jump to the Rangers following last season.
