The Dodgers and ace Clayton Kershaw have agreed on a deal that will keep the left-hander in Los Angeles. The team announced the deal Friday
The Los Angeles Dodgers and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw reached an agreement on a contract extension today that will keep the seven-time All-Star with the club through 2021.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 2, 2018
According to The Athletic, the new deal is for three years and $93 million with incentives which brings his average annual value to $31 million now rather than the previous $32.5 million. The Dodgers have not announced the terms on the money.
Kershaw contract with #Dodgers is for three years, $93M with incentives, per source.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 2, 2018
Under previous deal, Kershaw’s average salary next two seasons would have been $32.5M. He gets an extra year in deal with #Dodgers and average drops to $31M, and total can grow through incentives.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 2, 2018
"It was an easy decision for me," Kershaw told reporters Friday, via MLB.com. "This deal gives me another chance to prove a lot of people wrong."
Kershaw said it was important for his family to also want to stay in LA. "It was an easy decision for me," he said. "This deal gives me another chance to prove a lot of people wrong."
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) November 2, 2018
Kershaw signed a seven-year, $215 million contract in January 2014 that included the player option to become a free agent after five seasons.
Kershaw, who turns 31 in March, was owed $65 million over the next two seasons.
He posted a 2.73 ERA in 2018, but he has spent time on the disabled list during each of the past three seasons with back issues. In 11 MLB seasons, all with the Dodgers, Kershaw is 153-69 with a 2.39 ERA. He's a three-time NL Cy Young Award winner (runner-up twice) and a seven-time All-Star.