"He’s the closest royalty to Sandy Koufax" - MLB Analyst drops rave reviews for Clayton Kershaw amid talks of Dodgers reunion
While Los Angeles Dodgers legendary pitcher Clayton Kershaw entered free agency at the end of the season, sentimental MLB fans want him to return and end his career with the club he spent his entire career. The 35-year-old lefty has undergone shoulder surgery after the end of the season and is not expected to pitch in the first half of next season. However, the Dodgers need a left-hander in the starting rotation and Kershaw is certainly the sentimental answer to their problem.
Clayton Kershaw was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2006 MLB draft and went on to make his major league debut for them in 2008, after two years in the minors. Since then, he has gone on to become one of the team's, and the MLB's, legendary pitchers. He has made 10 All-Star appearances, won three Cy Young Young awards, one NL MVP and finished as the NL wins leader and strikeout leader thrice, while finishing as the NL ERA leader five times.
There is no doubt that Kershaw will soon be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown after his retirement, but could he make a return to the Dodgers before that? As the LA front office builds their starting rotation for next season, they are missing one thing: a lefty. While it is not a necessity, it is always good to have some flexibility in options, and the roster currently has no lefty starters. Hence, fans and analysts alike want to see Clayton Kershaw return to his team for a last dance worthy of the career he has had in the MLB.
“For me, I don’t think he has anywhere else to go. He’s a Dodger... He’s the closest royalty to Sandy Koufax…. so he can’t go anywhere," says Harold Reynolds of MLB Network.
Will Clayton Kershaw make a return to the MLB?
Los Angeles Dodgers pitching legend Clayton Kershaw recently announced that his shoulder surgery was a success and he is recovering well. However, he has not yet made a decision on his future and whether he will return to action in the MLB once again. Having left the field last season with his head in his hands, fans across the country want to see his return and hang up his gloves in a more fitting manner.
Nonetheless, it is true that it may not make sense rationally for the Dodgers, but Kershaw will have no shortage of suitors despite his age. The 35-year-old free agent has already drawn interest from the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, but has yet to decide on his future.