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Los Angeles Dodgers: 2018 Review, Kershaw Window Closing?

By Max Neibaur

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 28: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game Five of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 28: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game Five of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Dodgers
ATLANTA, GA OCTOBER 08: The Los Angeles Dodgers pose on the field following the last out during the Major League baseball NLDS game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 8th, 2018 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, GA. The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 6 – 2 to win the NLDS series. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League Pennant for the second consecutive season, but the window to win a World Series with Clayton Kershaw as team ace appears to be closing.

Lebron James has not immediately brought Showtime back to LA, and this would have been a nice time for the locals to be basking in the glow of a Los Angeles Dodgers World Series Championship.

Unfortunately for LA fans, the Dodgers fell just short of their goal in 2018.  The team is deep and able to make up for injuries, but the Dodgers have not been able to win the biggest games of all.

Lebron James still has plenty of season to turn around the slow start to the Lakers year, but Clayton Kershaw might be running out of time to win a Championship as an ace pitcher in Dodgers blue.

The problem lays more with Kershaw than the Dodgers as a team. Yes, the Dodgers barely made the 2018 MLB Playoffs. But they made a run when it counted most like a championship team should. And, LA resigned Kershaw, as they should have.

The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies led the NL West Division during various times during the 2018 season. But, the Diamondbacks and Rockies do not have a history of winning year-in and year-out.

The Diamondbacks will lose Patrick Corbin to Free Agency after a tremendous 2018 season, and the Rockies will likely watch former batting champ D.J. LeMahieu walk as a free agent.

Key Dodgers free agents include the likes of batters Manny Machado, Yasmani Grandal, and pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu. However, Machado was just a rental due to the season-ending injury of Cory Seager.

Grandal, who had a terrible postseason and Ryu received qualifying offers from LA and will not sign elsewhere without gaining the Dodgers some kind of compensation.

Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts used a revolving door of lineups and in-game substitutions during the 2018 MLB Playoffs to optimize his team during games. Reports are that Roberts will soon be rewarded for his efforts.

Roberts did a good job of keeping his players in positions to succeed, and they did all the way to the World Series.

The Los Angeles Dodgers Management created a team deep enough for Roberts to have the liberty of making many changes every day and every inning for the matchups.

Furthermore, the Dodgers are built for future success even though future MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw has likely seen his best days.

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