Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Clayton Kershaw is getting a big payday soon and it’s all thanks to the monster contract extension he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The young superstar pitcher has earned a seven-year, $215 million deal that will make him the highest paid starting pitcher in MLB history — just surpassing Justin Verlander‘s seven-year, $180 million deal a few years ago.
So, with that being said, did the Dodgers overpay the likely future Hall of Famer? The easy answer — no.
Clayton Kershaw might just be the best pitcher in baseball right now and he is just getting started. At the age if 25, Kershaw has the talent and potential to get even better as he ages. Signing a seven-year extension will keep him in Los Angeles until his early-to-mid 30s and that’s a minor risk with a huge reward.
So is he really worth that money as the highest paid pitcher in MLB history? Yes, he posted a 1.83 ERA this season — the lowest of any starter in baseball and the first sub-two ERA pitcher in recent memory.
Since joining the league, Kershaw has posted an ERA of over 2.91 just once — and it was his rookie season. As a starter with the Dodgers, he is 77-46 with a 2.60 ERA. In the past four seasons, he has won 64 games in the past four seasons. Averaging 16 wins per year is a pretty solid rate for a pitcher — especially one that has no problem staying healthy and posting an ERA of under 3.00 consistently.
Kershaw has pitched at least 31 games in every season since 2009 — he’s durable.
The Dodgers made a great move by signing Kershaw to an extension and boy will they be hard to beat every fifth day.
Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at [email protected].
