Report: Industry expects Kershaw to opt out
One of the biggest questions heading into the opening bell of free agency on Friday is whether or not Clayton Kershaw will opt out of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and some clarity may be developing.
The expectation in the industry is that Kershaw will exercise his opt-out, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported Monday, citing sources. As Morosi notes, that could mean Kershaw opts out and simply re-signs with the Dodgers.
Following the franchise's second straight World Series loss, the 30-year-old said he hadn't made up his mind.
"I haven't made the decision yet," he said Sunday, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. "We have three days to talk, between us and the Dodgers, see what happens. And then we'll go from there."
If Kershaw did hit the open market, he'd become one of the best assets available (along with Bryce Harper and Manny Machado), despite a troublesome back that hasn't allowed him to reach 30 starts since 2015.
Over his 11 big-league seasons, all with Los Angeles, Kershaw owns a 153-69 record with a 2.39 ERA and 2,275 strikeouts in 318 appearances (316 starts).
"Clayton is the Dodgers," teammate Rich Hill said. "He's the heart and soul of this organization. You look at a guy like that, (who) put it on the line for so many years and had so much success here, I just hope they do the right things."
Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young and one-time MVP winner, has two years and just over $70 million left on his deal.