Getty Clayton Kershaw
The 2023 season certainly didn’t end how 10-time All-Star Clayton Kershaw presumably would have liked.
Just weeks after recording the worst start of his career in game 1 of the National League Division Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers veteran underwent surgery on his left shoulder on November 3 to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and capsule.
Now a free agent, Kershaw is effectively ruled out from pitching for at least the first half of the 2024 season — but it’s not over ’til it’s over, according to Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes.
On February 3, MLB.com’s Juan Toribio quoted Gomes as saying the team “continue(s) to stay in touch with Clayton,” keeping the door open to a post-rehab reunion with the 35-year-old star.
#Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, when asked if bringing Clayton Kershaw back is still a possibility: “Yeah, for sure. We continue to stay in touch with Clayton, and we’ll progress.”
Through 16 MLB seasons with the Dodgers after being drafted by the team in 2006, Kershaw posted a 2.48 career ERA with a 1.004 WHIP and 2944 strikeouts in 2712.2 innings.
During the 2023 regular season, the three-time NL Cy Young Award-winner recorded a 2.46 ERA with 137 strikeouts and was selected for the 10th All-Star appearance of his career, though his fWAR was the lowest of his career (excluding the shortened 2020 season).
On November 3, 2023, Kershaw underwent surgery on his left shoulder to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and capsule, delaying his 2024 season debut until July, at the earliest.
Clayton Kershaw’s Projected Contract Value
Before the 2023 season, Kershaw re-signed with the Dodgers on a one-year, $20 million contract, but considering he’s coming off the worst season of his career by fWAR and recovering from surgery, his value in free agency is likely to be lower this time around.
On November 1, The Athletic’s Tim Britton predicted Kershaw would sign a one-year, $15 million deal for 2024, though at that time, the hurler’s injury woes were yet to be revealed.
Dodgers’ Starting Rotation in 2024
It’s been a big offseason in Los Angeles, with the Dodgers spending over $1 billion in free agency, particularly to bolster their starting rotation.
On December 11, 2023, the Dodgers signed two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract, and five days later, they acquired Tyler Glasnow in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays and extended him on a five-year, $136.5 million deal. On December 25, the team signed Japanese free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million deal, and on January 29, they acquired lefty James Paxton on a one-year, $7 million contract.
With the new additions, the Dodgers’ 2024 starting rotation is projected to look as follows:
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto
- Walker Buehler
- Tyler Glasnow
- Bobby Miller
- James Paxton
Emmet Sheehan and Gavin Stone, who both made their MLB debut in 2023, are also likely to see occasional starts this season, especially if Buehler’s return to full duties is delayed as he comes back from his second Tommy John surgery.
Since he’s recovering from surgery to address a UCL tear in his right elbow, Ohtani won’t pitch during the 2024 regular season, though he may return for a playoff campaign. Still, the Dodgers’ overhauled rotation is undeniably stacked with talent, even without Ohtani or Kershaw in the lineup.
If the Dodgers don’t re-sign Kershaw before Opening Day, they’re likely to revisit the idea before the trade deadline, when the three-time NL strikeout leader will hopefully be ready to slot back into their starting rotation. The Dodgers have proven with their moves this offseason that they’re taking contention extremely seriously in 2024, and adding a 10-time All-Star back into the rotation before a playoff berth is unlikely to be something they pass up.