Los Angeles Dodgers sign Clayton Kershaw to new deal

After extending their deadline to today, the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a new deal with their ace.

Los Angeles Dodgers fans can breathe again. It’s been a rough week as it is with the finale of the World Series less than a week old, and then having to face the possibility of losing the franchise icon ace just a few days later could be too much too handle.

Fret not, Dodgers fans! Clayton Kershaw will once again be donning the blue again in 2019.

Kershaw had an opt-out within his contract that he signed in January of 2014 that would have allowed him to forego the final two seasons of his deal, which were valued at a combined $65 million. Many wondered if there was a market that high for the left-hander.

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Instead,

Ken Rosenthal reported

that the Dodgers and Kershaw came to an agreement that extends that contract one more season, paying Kershaw $93 million over 3 seasons. The deal also includes performance bonuses for the starts reached that could total an additional $4 million per season and a $1.5 million bonus for a

Award or $500,000 for a top-3 finish in the Cy Young Award voting.

This deal certainly will allow Kershaw to hit the market again for one more contract, but it also ensures that he should finish his contract with the Dodgers as one of the elite pitchers in a franchise known for elite pitching. He already ranks first in the organization’s history in bWAR, but he is 25 wins from moving into 4th place all-time in wins for the franchise. Averaging 19 victories per season over the 3-year pact would allow him to move into 2nd all-time in Dodgers history, though first place is out of reach in this deal.

Kershaw will also have another 3 seasons to pursue the organization’s strikeout top spot, which he currently trails by 421, meaning he should move into the top spot by the end of 2020. Kershaw should also finish the contract 3rd in games started in franchise history, as he trails the #3 position by 19.

Over the last decade, no one has symbolized the Dodgers franchise more or better than Clayton Kershaw, who is a tremendous philanthropist off the field to go along with his elite performance on the field. Now, he’ll definitely finish his Dodgers tenure significantly among the elite to have ever donned the Dodger blue, whether a pitcher or position player.