Getty The Rangers are rumored to have interest in long-time Dodger Clayton Kershaw. Walker Buehler is having none of it.
The world has changed quite a bit since 2008. One of the few constants has been Clayton Kershaw pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Could that change in 2024? Not if fellow pitcher Walker Buehler has anything to say about it.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported on December 22 that the Texas Rangers are interested in signing the 16-year veteran. This isn’t the first time MLB’s rumor mill has connected the Rangers with Kershaw, who grew up in Dallas, Texas.
Upon seeing this news on X, formerly Twitter on December 23, Buehler shared an emphatic “NO!” in the replies.
That one-word response has spread around quite a bit on social media. So, it seems like many others share this sentiment. It’s not hard to see why — Kershaw has been a staple in Los Angeles and is ticketed for the Hall of Fame whenever he retires.
The southpaw is a 10-time All-Star with three Cy Young Awards and one MVP Award. He also won the 2020 World Series with the Dodgers. Across 2,712.2 career innings, Kershaw has posted a 210-92 record with a 2.48 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 2,944 strikeouts.
He underwent shoulder surgery in early November to fix his glenohumeral ligaments and shoulder capsule. Kershaw shared the nature of the procedure and a projected timeline for his return to the mound via his Instagram on November 3.
Dodgers Have Just Revamped Their Rotation
While Kershaw rehabs from his surgery as a current free agent, the Dodgers have been busy improving their roster in headline-grabbing ways.
First, they agreed to a historic 10-year, $700 million contract with Shohei Ohtani. The two-way superstar won’t be pitching in 2024, but he’s expected to return to the mound in 2025, per Reuters.
Los Angeles then traded for starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot. Glasnow was supposed to hit free agency next winter. That’s no longer happening since he agreed to a five-year deal as part of the trade.
The latest move included agreeing to sign Japanese hurler Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract on December 21. According to FanGraphs’ Roster Resource, Los Angeles’ Opening Day starting rotation currently looks like this:
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto
- Tyler Glasnow
- Walker Buehler
- Bobby Miller
- Emmet Sheehan
Adding another hurler like Kershaw once he’s healthy isn’t exactly necessary. But as the old adage goes, you can never have enough pitching. Plus, Rosenthal reported that despite adding Yamamoto and Glasnow, Los Angeles still wants to add rotation depth.
Walker Buehler Preparing for Long-Awaited Return
It’s been a while since Buehler toed the slab in a big-league game. The last time it happened was June 10, 2022, in San Francisco against the Giants. He allowed three runs on four hits, no walks and six strikeouts in four innings.
In August 2022, Buehler went under the knife for his second Tommy John surgery, as well as a flexor tendon repair. The hurler’s original goal was to return to the Dodgers’ rotation on September 1, 2023, per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
That’s a lofty goal for any pitcher coming back from this kind of surgery — especially doing it for the second time like Buehler. This ultimately didn’t happen, as the Dodgers released a statement on September 8 saying the hurler was officially shut down for the year.
The right-hander will be playing with a few new faces in 2024 as Los Angeles hopes to justify its offseason spending spree with a World Series title. It’s clear he’s also hoping a familiar face in Kershaw will join him at Chavez Ravine at some point in the summer.