The Los Angeles Dodgers have been Major League Baseball’s busiest team this offseason, dominating the free agent market by signing pitchers Blake Snell, Rori Sasaki, Tanner Scott, and Kirby Yates, along with outfielders Michael Conforto and Teoscar Hernandez, and infielder Hyeseong Kim. However, amidst all these acquisitions, one crucial piece was missing.
Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who has been with the team since his 2008 MLB debut, was a free agent this offseason. At 38 years old, it seemed inevitable that the two parties would reach an agreement. On Tuesday, this inevitability was confirmed as ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez reported Kershaw had signed a new contract with the Dodgers and was spotted playing catch at the team’s spring training facility.
Clayton Kershaw is at the Dodgers facility playing catch. He and the Dodgers have agreed to terms on a new contract, per source, though he still has to finish going through his physical.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) February 11, 2025
Kershaw’s remarkable career speaks volumes; he is among the best starting pitchers of his generation, alongside Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer as the only active pitchers to win three Cy Young Awards. Notably, Kershaw also clinched the MVP award in the same season he won a Cy Young, achieving this feat in 2014. Over his 17-year career, he boasts a record of 212-94 and an impressive 2.50 ERA—the lowest among all active pitchers. As he enters the 2025 season, Kershaw stands at 2,968 career strikeouts, and should he reach the 3,000-strikeout milestone, he will become the 20th pitcher in MLB history to do so.
Details regarding the length and financial terms of the contract have not been disclosed.
