Clayton Kershaw's Retirement Adds New Wrinkle

As Clayton Kershaw was approaching the end of an 18-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman approached him with an offer to join the front office.

Kershaw was appreciative of the opportunity Friedman extended, but politely declined. He rode off into the sunset as a three-time World Series champion, but had retirement interrupted by joining Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.

And now months after initially turning down a role with the Dodgers, Kershaw has been added in the capacity of a special assistant.

Clayton Kershaw wants to help Dodgers

One day after his broadcasting debut with NBC Sports, Kershaw was back at Dodger Stadium so he could participate in the 2025 World Series ring ceremony. Hours before being presented with his hardware in front of a raucous crowd, Kershaw revealed he agreed to join the Dodgers front office.

“I think I'll be involved somehow. Probably not physically here in LA, but for sure I'll watch games," Kershaw said on SportsNet LA. "I still want to be a part of the Dodgers. So if I can help in some small piece, I will.”

When asked for specifics of his role, Kershaw ruled out one possibility but otherwise noted the situation is fluid.

"I'm not coaching," he said. "I'm going to watch, and I really don't know much more after that. We'll see."

At the time of announcing his retirement last year, Kershaw made clear he was at peace with the decision and looked forward to taking on a full-time role as a dad. Ellen gave birth to the couple's fifth child, Chloe Peach, this past December.

But given he played in the WBC and was quickly part of NBC's return to carrying MLB games, Kershaw hasn't yet settled into being retired. He nevertheless has already noticed key differences when compared to needing to prepare for a season.

"There's a freedom with retirement, you know? If you don't want to work out, you don't have to. If your back hurts, it doesn't matter. If your arm hurts, it doesn't matter," Kershaw quipped.

"You get to see a lot more stuff, be around for everything. There's a lot of great parts. It doesn't take away from how special playing this game is, but there's a lot of really awesome parts about being home and being a dad."

Kershaw anticipated the upcoming week to feel more like normal retired life once he's back home in Dallas.