I don’t care how much money the Dodgers have spent in addressing their first-round playoff exits. Who cares if his last start in the playoffs he gave up six runs in .1 innings. It is irrelevant to state that he is coming off shoulder surgery and won’t pitch until after the All-Star break. Even after spending more than $1 billion dollars, the Dodgers need to sign Clayton Kershaw back to his annual one-year deals.
What Have The Dodgers Done
This offseason, the Dodgers’ front office has made it rain on multiple players. Shohei Ohtani signed a record breaking deal that guarantees he will be the DH next season. Andrew Friedman traded for Tyler Glasnow and signed him to an extension. Yosinobo Yamamoto joined his countryman and went Hollywood by signing with the Dodgers. Teoscar Hernandez signed a year deal because who wouldn’t want to join this super team?
Yet, the team is not fully completed without the heart of the team. Without Kershaw, the Dodgers record-breaking season will not feel the same. His presence will have a contribution that surpasses any of his mound performances.
What Will Kershaw Bring The Team
With Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan guaranteed to pitch in the starting rotation this coming season, the mentorship of Kershaw will be worth his six months of playing time. As soon as the Dodgers resign him, he will automatically become the longest tenured in the organization.
The Dodgers signed Kershaw straight out of high school in 2006. He made his big league debut in 2008 and was a big part of the 2020 World Series win. His exit from the bullpen after clinching the World Series is engrained in every fan’s memory. No one deserved that ring more than Kershaw.
That kind of knowledge cannot be replaced. Kershaw cannot finish his career wearing a uniform that is not a Dodgers uniform.
Can you imagine Kershaw wearing a Texas Rangers uniform? Or an Angels uniform?
I just grabbed a bag because writing that sentence made me gag. As the Dodgers currently stand, here’s how the rotation looks like:
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto
- Walker Buehler
- Tyler Glasnow
- Bobby Miller
- Emett Sheehan
As expensive as these players are, innings are not guaranteed. Buehler and Glasnow is coming off Tommy John surgery. Yamamoto hasn’t pitched in the US. Miller and Sheehan will be entering their first full season of their short career.
What’s standing behind these pitchers? Other rookies. The Dodgers not only need Kershaw, they can also use another pitcher. I mean, what other options are there? Jordan Montgomery? Dylan Cease in a trade? That would cost a lot.
Friedman is not afraid of that. Just last week, the Dodgers traded Michael Busch and Yency Almonte to the Cubs for two minor league players. Will they flip one of these prospects to trade for Cease and sign Kershaw to maximize their starting rotation efforts? Maybe.
If theres anything that I have learned from this offseason, is that the Dodgers are in it to win it. The Diamondbacks broke them. They Dodgers want to win in a regular season. Kershaw deserves to be on the team.
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