Are the Rangers a favorite to land 3-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw?
The Clayton Kershaw sweepstakes might not officially start until November, but there’s already speculation that he might leave the Dodgers and become a free agent this coming winter.
The left-handed starter is currently in the fifth year of a seven-year, $215 million deal. However, the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner can opt out this winter. If he remains in Los Angeles, he will make $32 million next season and $33 million for the 2020 season.
But if he does hit the market, www.betdsi.eu has the latest odds on where Kershaw will land. Would you look at where Texas is slotted?
Los Angeles Dodgers +130
Texas Rangers +360
Houston Astros +360
New York Yankees +815
Field (Any Other Team) +815
The Dodgers just acquired superstar shortstop Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles via trade and appear primed to be a World Series contender for many years to come. So, it makes sense that the franchise is expected to retain Kershaw’s services.
It also makes sense that the defending World Series champion Houston Astros, who are similarly positioned to remain atop the baseball landscape, would be a strong contender to add Kershaw.
The Rangers inclusion at the top of this forecast is a little bit surprising. The team currently occupies last place in the American League West and will almost certainly miss the playoffs for the third straight season.
The Rangers currently have the 13th-highest payroll in the league at $158,055,897, according to Spotrac.com. But it’s possible that by the July 31 trade deadline, general manager Jon Daniels will ship out pricey veterans Cole Hammels ($22.5 million) and red-hot designated hitter/outfielder Shin-Soo Choo ($20 million) in exchange for high-end prospects from other teams.
Whoever adds Kershaw, they’re going to have to pay a hefty price. Red Sox starter David Price set the market back in 2015 with a five-year, $217 million deal that pays him an average of $31 million per season through 2023.
Kershaw’s current deal is already the second largest at his position, and if he opts out, some experts estimate his next deal could come in somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 to 6 years and cost somewhere between $235-$250 million.
Yes, the Dodgers have incredibly deep pockets thanks to new television contracts. But the team already has the third-highest payroll in baseball and must account for the future costs of rapidly developing up-and-comers such as shortstop Corey Seager and first baseman Cody Bellinger, among others.
Kershaw’s age (he’ll be 31 next March) and recent injury history might also give the Dodgers pause on a pricey, long-term deal.
The Rangers will likely need several years to complete their current rebuild. But the fact that Kershaw was born in Dallas and graduated from Highland Park High School, where he won Gatorade’s National Baseball Player of the Year in 2006, makes them a player in the eyes of oddsmakers.
This story was originally published July 24, 2018 at 9:00 AM.