In 2011 Kershaw made his first All-Star appearance, won the 2011 NL Cy Young Award, won the NL Gold Glove, NL Triple Crown, he led the league in ERA, wins, strikeouts, and pitched over 200 innings for the second consecutive season. Oh I think I forgot to mention this is his first year in arbitration and he will be barely turning 24 this March. So yes this is about to get expensive, very expensive.
You gotta wonder if this adds some bitterness in getting a long-term deal done. I know this is part of the business, but you are talking about the cornerstone of the starting rotation, the staff ace. Is this a mistake? Time will surely tell, Clayton is going to get paid either way, so Clayton ain't worried. Kershaw isn't a free-agent until 2014, so the Dodgers figure they have time. I am thinking offering $8MM would've been a starting point, and wouldn't have left a bitter taste in Clayton's mouth. I'm projecting Kershaw will get somewhere right around $8.5MM when the dust settles after his hearing. So what is that? It's $2MM! Heck, Colletti wasted a whole lot more than that this winter, priorities, it's so backwards right now it's ridiculous.I've said it before and I will say it again, the longer the Dodgers wait to lock Clayton up the more expensive it's gonna get. You don't believe me? Tim Lincecum just filed for $21.5MM according to Heyman. So that will certainly help Clayton as he heads to arbitration. Kershaw is just getting started folks, and I see no reason he doesn't continue the trend as the best left-handed pitcher in the game right now. The reality is the Dodgers should be in a very big hurry to lock Kershaw up as affordable and as soon as possible. The long-term deal will provide security to both parties and that's always comforting, but in the end it's all about the mighty dollar, and Kershaw is going to want a lot of them. I still see Kershaw getting at least a six-year $90MM-$100MM from the Dodgers. The new owner is certainly going to have to do some damage control to do on this situation.
Please, Ned, reveal your strategy behind signing half the available flotsam this winter, and NOT offering Kershaw a Kempian contract. Please...
ReplyDeleteA backloaded six million dollar question there Jack. While words do not describe how overjoyed I am with the deal that was handed to Kemp this winter. It absolutely infuriates me how McCourt and Colletti continue to run the show. If Kershaw was on any other team he would've been locked up this winter guaranteed. There is no excuse and I simply just have to keep my fingers crossed that Colletti gets sent packing when the owner takes over.
ReplyDeleteWhy bid against yourself? A long term contract right now would eat up 3 arbitration years...kemp signed because he was going to be a free agent after this season. Besides a long term contracts to pitchers is risky. Very few pitchers are able to average 200 innings every year of their contract.
ReplyDeleteWell it will save the Dodgers millions and millions and millions if they are able to secure a deal now. Check out the two-year $40.5MM deal Tim Lincecum just signed. He's gonna keep taking the Giants to the cleaners because he can. The Giants may get themselves into a position where they are no longer bidding against themselves but bidding against the Yankees, Red Sox, and others if they don't secure their staff ace soon. Typically long-term contracts to pitchers is very risky, but when they are just about to turn 24 years old is a much safer move. The Dodgers need to start thinking and acting like a big market team, otherwise all of their young talent is going to head to greener pastures.
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