Clayton Kershaw (35), a franchise star who was once the pride of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is in a pitiful situation.
On the 26th (Korean time), MLB.com, the official homepage of the Major League Baseball, picked one irreplaceable player from 30 teams with the question “Who is the most indispensable player in every team?”
New York Yankees Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Angels Shohei Otani, San Diego, Manny Machado, but there were times when representative players came out, but next-generation pillars were also mentioned, such as Pittsburgh’s Kibraian Hayes, Cincinnati’s Hunter Green, and Arizona’s Corbin Carroll.
The Los Angeles Dodgers picked Mookie Betts. MLB.com introduced, “Betts is the heart and soul of the Dodgers. And we must not forget that he has already won the World Series twice.”
The praise Betts had heard belonged to Kershaw only a few years ago. Kershaw played for only one team for the Los Angeles Dodgers for 15 seasons after joining with the 7th pick in the 1st round of the 2006 rookie draft. He played 401 career games, went 197-87 with an ERA of 2.48, and won numerous titles, including three Cy Youngs, one MVP and the Triple Crown. His long-cherished dream of winning the World Series was won in 2020, and he achieved everything he could achieve as a player.
From the 2016 season, it gradually went downhill. A chronic back injury was the reason. The ability to be in the top 3 of the Cy Young Award every year has not been seen since the 2018 season. In the 2021 season, the last year of his contract, he had trouble negotiating an extension contract because he had not completed 180 innings for over five years. Because of that, a transfer to his hometown team, Texas, was sparked.
In the end, he chose to stay with the Dodgers with a one-year contract last year, and left an excellent record with an average ERA of 2.28 with 12 wins and 3 losses in 22 games. However, despite his healthy skills, his position was narrowed. A typical example is the selection for the opening game announced not so long ago.
Usually, the opening game selection is left to the team’s iconic pitcher or ace. Kershaw, as a star symbolizing the Dodgers franchise, also made nine opener appearances (2011-2018, 2021), the most in the history of the club.
Considering last year’s performance and usual status, it would have been no problem for Kershaw to pitch. However, the selection for the opening match went to Julio Urias (27), who had completed the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) schedule.안전놀이터 Following the appearance of Walker Buehler (29) in the opening game last year, this is a part that shows the Los Angeles Dodgers’ clear intention to change generations.
Kershaw signed another one-year contract with the Dodgers ahead of this season. With his increasingly narrow position, attention is paid to what choice Kershaw will make after the season.