Dodgers GM Provides Latest Update on Clayton Kershaw's Free Agency

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jan 31, 2025

Oct 30, 2024; New York, USA, LAD; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) celebrates after the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in game five to win the 2024 Imagn Images World Series at New York. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Clayton Kershaw's future with the Los Angeles Dodgers remains promising despite the fact that the veteran pitcher is expected to miss most of the first half of the upcoming season.

Kershaw is expected to make a full recovery from multiple offseason surgeries and return to the team in the second half of the year.

General manager Brandon Gomes shared in an interview on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast that “the hope and expectation” is for Kershaw to return in 2025, emphasizing the ongoing communication between the team and the left-hander.

Please understand that Clayton Kershaw had a span of 193 starts averaging 7 innings per game and with an ERA of 1.99. 😮 https://t.co/cD2XrUZaY3

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) January 25, 2025

“We’ve continued to talk with Kersh and the hope and expectation is that he’s back with us this year," Gomes said. "Seems like that’s in a good spot.”

When Kershaw does make his return, he will rejoin a starting rotation that could be one of the best in Dodgers history. The team is expected to field a six-man rotation that includes Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, and some combination of Tony Gonsolin, Landon Knack, Bobby Miller, and Dustin May.

Previously, Gomes had provided an update on Kershaw's offseason recovery, noting that while the pitcher had made progress in his throwing program, he has not yet started throwing off a mound.

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Kershaw is widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in Dodgers history. Although he declined his $10 million player option for 2025 in November, many expected the veteran left-hander to return, especially after his comments during the postseason. Kershaw made it clear that he intended to retire as a Dodger, solidifying the belief that he would eventually re-sign with Los Angeles.

A three-time National League Cy Young award winner and the 2014 NL MVP, Kershaw’s legacy extends beyond his time with the Dodgers. He is considered one of the most dominant pitchers of his generation and is on a clear path to Cooperstown, where he is expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection.

During his peak from 2011 to 2017, Kershaw posted a remarkable 2.10 ERA and struck out 1,623 batters across 207 starts. He earned seven of his 10 All-Star selections during this period.

Heading into 2025, Kershaw boasts a career record of 212-94 and is just 32 strikeouts shy of 3,000. He also ranks in the top five of several Dodgers’ all-time pitching categories, including pitcher WAR, wins, win-loss percentage, WHIP, H/9, K/9, innings, strikeouts, and games started.

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