Andrew Friedman on Clayton Kershaw Signing With Dodgers: ‘Everything is Right in the World’
Despite all of the major signings that the Dodgers have made this offseason and all the money spent, none of it would have felt right without veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw on the roster. Kershaw has been with the Dodgers his entire career and is truly the embodiment of what it means to be a member of this franchise.
There was some thought that he could leave for his hometown Texas Rangers or even retire. But in the end, Kershaw decided that coming back to the Dodgers was where he belonged.
He re-signed with the team on a contract that has a player option for the 2025 season. Kershaw likely wanted to have an option to exercise the deal in case he is able to perform well again.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman gave his thoughts on Kershaw returning, and like all L.A. fans, he was ecstatic.
“We’ve said this a lot, but it feels like everything is right in the world when Kershaw is wearing Dodger Blue,” Friedman said. “From our standpoint, it was aggressive from the beginning to let him know how important it was to us, but also giving him the space for he and Ellen to figure out what makes the most sense for him and his family. We were persistent but respectful and all is well that ends well.”
Per Andrew Friedman via The Los Angeles Times
Once again, the Dodgers gave Kershaw and his family space to make their decision. The organization has been very open about the fact that the veteran starter has earned the right to make whatever decision is best for him and his family.
Kershaw feels like there is some unfinished business left to accomplish with the team, and he wants to win another World Series. While he won’t be pitching until late summer, he can still provide his expertise to some of the younger arms on the team.
Just having Kershaw around makes things feel right with the organization, and many players have all talked about him needing to return. Kershaw is back now, and it’s now time to get this exciting season started.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, livestreams, and more!
