Clayton Kershaw re-signed with the Dodgers after a long wait for three reasons.
Clay Kershaw of the Dodgers smiles in the middle, with a shoulder injury diagram on the left and a World Series trophy on the right.
After a long wait, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Clayton Kershaw for his 17th season. Kershaw considered leaving after the Dodgers’ huge signings of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Staying with the franchise he’s called home for over two decades was ideal for many reasons.
Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times said that Kershaw re-signed with the Dodgers for three reasons. Kershaw needed familiarity after his November offseason shoulder surgery. Since his surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, is the Dodgers’ top physician, his recovery in Dallas should go well.
Additionally, Clayton Kershaw wanted to cement his reputation as a Dodgers legend, which would have been tough without re-signing. On his disastrous 2023 NLDS start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kershaw would have left the Dodgers. But now Kershaw may build a storybook finale to his LA tenure.
Harris feels LA provides Kershaw the best chance to win his second World Series ring, so that’s his third reason for returning to the Dodgers. After their free agency signings, the Dodgers have perhaps the league’s deepest roster, so Kershaw shouldn’t feel pressure to accelerate his shoulder surgery rehab. The club should have enough weapons to carry the torch.
The Dodgers’ starting rotation will be a spectacle once Clayton Kershaw returns. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, Tyler Glasnow, Bobby Miller, and James Paxton are already on the roster, and Kershaw’s and Ohtani’s returns should make them favorites to win several World Series titles this decade.
