The Dodgers made their re-signing of Clayton Kershaw official on Thursday and moved rookie River Ryan, who underwent Tommy John last year, to the 60-day IL accordingly. Unlike last season, there was never any doubt that Kershaw would return to the Dodgers; a World Series win that he was forced to sit on the sidelines for was certainly strong incentive for him to come back and try again in 2025.
Last year, he said he came back to the Dodgers because he believed they’d put themselves in the best position to win — a little bit of an obvious sentiment, but not an incorrect one. Their chances are even better this year with all of their offseason additions, and they have a 19.2% chance of winning the World Series (per PECOTA) before the season’s even begun.
But, realistically, how big a role will Kershaw be able to play in 2025? His contract, one-year and $7.5 million guaranteed with a lot of incentives, certainly didn’t make it seem like the Dodgers truly believe he’ll be able to avoid injury even after he comes off the IL.
To that point, Kershaw said he expects to start the year on the 60-day IL, which is also unsurprising after his two surgeries this offseason. The Dodgers would never turn Clayton Kershaw away as long as he wants to pitch, but how much will he plausibly be able to do?
To no one’s surprise, Clayton Kershaw expects to start 2025 on Dodgers’ 60-day IL
It isn’t as though Kershaw has never been good in the postseason, but his struggles have certainly eclipsed his greatness. He pitched very well in two starts against the Rays in the 2020 Fall Classic, but it wouldn’t be surprising if all of the dismissal of the Dodgers’ win that year has gotten to him a little bit. In his other two trips to the World Series, in 2017 and 2018, he has a 5.50 ERA, and everyone knows about his near-constant struggles in the NLDS.
Kershaw wants to come back, be healthy, and be pitch well throughout the entire postseason — a simple goal, maybe, but one that’s getting exceedingly harder the older he’s gotten. The amount of escalators the Dodgers built into his contract acknowledge his worth to the organization and his legacy, but it also exercises caution.
Kershaw said he expects to come off the IL as soon as his 60 days have passed. For both his and the organization’s sake, hopefully things actually work out that way. Otherwise, the groundwork is being laid for Kershaw to eventually become a coach, as most of his influence the last couple years has come in the form of imparting wisdom upon his teammates and the organization’s younger players.
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In retrospect, the way Clayton Kershaw revealed he would be officially returning to the Dodgers in 2025 was kind of perfect. He just showed up to the team’s spring training facility on Tuesday, before the media could report that an agreement on a new deal had been reached. Even without an official deal, he walked in like his presence was a foregone conclusion, because it was.
Details weren’t revealed immediately, but it was safe to assume that it would be a one-year deal. Although the Dodgers would never turn him away, 2025 will be Kershaw’s 18th and age-37 season in LA, and it’s become clear over the last four seasons that he’s struggling to stay healthy.
The new deal became official on Thursday morning, now that the Dodgers can move Kershaw to the 60-day IL without bumping anyone off of the 40-man roster.
FanSided insider Robert Murray reported that he’ll receive a base salary of $7.5 million, but he’ll also get $1 million each for 13-16 games started, along with $2.5 million for 30 days on the active roster, $1 million for 60, and another $1 million for 90, for a max value of $16 million.
Breakdown of Clayton Kershaw’s contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, sources say: one-year, $7.5 million.
The deal includes $1 million each for 13, 14, 15, 16 games started. It also includes $2.5 million for 30 days on active roster, $1 million for 60 days on active roster,…
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) February 13, 2025
Clayton Kershaw contract details make it obvious Dodgers are uncertain he’ll stay healthy
Kershaw turned down a guaranteed $5 million for 2025 when he opted out of his previous agreement but had the opportunity to make up to $15 million. This year might be Kershaw’s last hoorah, so it sort of makes sense that the Dodgers would give him more guaranteed money but tread with caution with the conditional $8.5 million. The base salary still respects Kershaw’s history with the team and acknowledges that he should never be underestimated, but the escalators give them some safeguards if he doesn’t manage to stay healthy.
As things stand, Kershaw isn’t expected to join the active roster until the summer after two surgeries in the offseason. It’ll be paramount that the rest of the rotation stays healthy enough to give all of the guys who really need a six-man rotation — Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Shohei Ohtani — that extra time off between starts.
It’s going to be a balancing act, and the Dodgers’ history of injury isn’t reassuring, but if it works and if Kershaw manages to find a last burst of greatness, LA’s rotation will be one of the best in baseball, if not the best.
