In a year that has featured a couple of blockbuster deals for pitchers, it appears that Clayton Kershaw may very well be the next pitcher to land a megadeal.
According to a report by Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Los Angeles Dodgers are currently in talks with Kershaw about a contract extension. The extension would likely be for seven years and over $180 million, which means it would top the deal Justin Verlander got back in March. Felix Hernandez was able to sign a seven-year deal worth $175 million back in February.
That means that if this deal goes over the $180 million mark, Kershaw will be the highest-paid pitcher in baseball.
Apparently, the two sides also talked about a few other deals, including a deal that would be for 12 years and worth $300 million.
The 2011 NL Cy Young Award winner has a 66-41 record and 2.71 ERA to go along with 1,070 strikeouts over his career. In 2011, he went 21-5 with a 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts.
This season has been just as impressive for Kershaw. Although his team has been struggling, he has an ERA of only 1.84 paired with a microscopic 0.97 WHIP. He leads the National League with the best ERA and most strikeouts with 104.
At only 25 years old, the two-time All-Star certainly appears to deserve a big contract. He’s been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season for the Dodgers, who are currently last in the NL West division.
Although nothing has been decided as of yet, the two sides appear to be working hard at getting this deal done. Once it is finalized, expect yet another huge contract for a fantastic pitcher.
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