Clayton Kershaw defining legacy by staying with Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw really did not have that difficult of a decision.
Alden Gonzalez from ESPN reported on Saturday that Kershaw was expected to sign a two-year agreement. The question was whether or not that would be with the Dodgers or his hometown Rangers. He ultimately decided to return to the Dodgers, the only franchise he has known in his career.
Kershaw's place in major league history is secure. He has been one of the best pitchers of his generation, posting a 2.48 ERA and a 1.004 WHiP over his 2,712.2 innings, striking out 2944 batters with 669 walks. Kershaw has been a 10-time All-Star, won three Cy Young Awards, was named the 2014 NL MVP, and won a championship in 2020. Cooperstown will be calling six years after he calls it a career.
That would have been the case even if he signed with the Rangers. However, his legacy would be different. Kershaw will always be linked to the Dodgers, a homegrown star whose number will likely be retired. He should get a statue outside Dodger Stadium. He would be the sixth Hall of Famer to spend his entire career with the Dodgers, joining Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax. It is an exclusive and impressive group, one Kershaw can be a part of.
Kershaw also has one more accomplishment left. He may have a World Series ring, but it came during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. There are questions about whether that title should have an asterisk. Kershaw himself has not fared well in the postseason, posting a 4.49 ERA with a 13-13 record. That mediocrity hangs around Kershaw's neck like an albatross, a blemish on an otherwise pristine career.
This is a chance to change that narrative. The Dodgers are all-in on winning multiple World Series. Kershaw should be fresh in the second half of the season as he recovers from shoulder surgery. Another title, and a postseason where he performs well, can define his legacy. That is all he has left to prove.
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