Los Angeles Dodgers 210-win legend Clayton Kershaw, 35, a free agent, recently revealed that he underwent shoulder surgery. He had his shoulder examined and was given the go-ahead for surgery. The surgery itself was a sign of Kershaw’s intention to extend his career. Despite reports that Kershaw didn’t want to go through the grueling and tedious rehabilitation process anymore, he made it clear that he has no intention of retiring.굿모닝토토
Kershaw’s shoulder surgery involved the supraspinatus ligament and labrum. He said he hopes to return next summer, but no one really knows what will happen. The general consensus is that shoulder rehab is at least a year. It’s usually a longer rehab than the elbow.
So even if Kershaw opts for an extension, it’s unclear if he’ll be back on the mound in 2024. This issue makes Kershaw”s free agency a difficult one to predict. Still, American media outlets see it as a two-horse race between the Dodgers and Texas Rangers.
The Athletic ranked Kershaw 26th in its free agent rankings, based on the evaluations and projections of its reporters. Zach Britton is projected to sign a one-year, $15 million deal. While Ryu Hyun-jin, ranked 36th, is expected to sign a one-year, $11 million deal, Kershaw was more generous.
It’s true that Kershaw and Ryu aren’t comparable in terms of performance this season, but neither are they comparable in terms of their careers. Still, it’s interesting to think that a pitcher who doesn’t know what’s going to happen next year will get more guaranteed money than a pitcher who does. Kershaw is only a year younger than Ryu.
The Athletic writes, “Kershaw had a tough season, but a pretty good one. Of course, shoulder health is the big question surrounding Kershaw. He looked weak the last seven weeks of the regular season and had surgery last week. All he’s said is that he thinks he’ll be able to play baseball next summer.”
The Athletic adds, “The team signing Kershaw is, of course, the Dodgers. So you have to look at his potential contributions as icing on the cake and make sure all the other ingredients are in place.” The expectations are high for Kershaw.