Major League Baseball

Clayton Kershaw can earn up to $37.5 million with incentives in new Dodgers deal

Published Feb. 12, 2024 7:32 p.m. ET

Clayton Kershaw can make up to $37.5 million over two seasons as part of his new contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, getting the full amount depending on how many starts he makes following shoulder surgery.

A three-time NL Cy Young Award winner who turns 36 on March 19, Kershaw is guaranteed $10 million as part of the agreement announced Friday. He can earn up to $12.5 million this year and $25 million in 2025.

Kershaw gets a $5 million salary this year and can earn $7.5 million in performance bonuses for what his deal defines as starts or relief appearances of three or more innings. He would get $1 million for six, $1.5 million each for seven, eight and nine, and $2 million for 10, according to terms obtained by The Associated Press.

Kershaw has a $5 million player option for 2025, which if he is healthy at the end of the 2024 season can escalate by $15 million based on the same criteria of starts or relief outings of three or more innings: $2 million for six, $3 million each for seven, eight and nine, and $4 million for 10.

He has five levels of 2025 performance bonuses, depending on his 2024 starts or relief appearances of three or more innings:

if six or fewer in 2024, Kershaw could earn up to $18 million in 2025: $1 million each from 8-25;
if seven in 2024, Kershaw could earn up to $15 million in 2025: $1 million each from 11-25;
if eight in 2024, Kershaw could earn up to $12 million in 2025: $1 million each from 14-25;
if nine in 2024, Kershaw could earn up to $12 million in 2025: $1 million each from 17-25;
if 10 in 2024, Kershaw could earn up to $5 million in 2015: $1 million each from 21-25.

His maximum 2025 compensation is $25 million, the agreement says.

A 210-game winner, Kershaw hopes to return to a major league mound this summer. He had surgery on Nov. 3 to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and his shoulder capsule. There are three glenohumeral ligaments and they reinforce the joint capsule.

Kershaw was 13-5 with 2.46 ERA in 131 2/3 innings over 24 starts last season. He was sidelined between June 27 and Aug. 10 by left shoulder soreness and when he returned didn't top 5 1/3 innings or 84 pitches.

He gave up six runs while getting one out in the NL Division Series opener, and Arizona went on to a three-game sweep.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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