Clayton Kershaw Free Agency: Dodgers bring back veteran ace for 17th MLB season

After earlier reporting claimed that Clayton Kershaw was "close" to a deal to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the two sides have made that report official. Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post have reported that there is a deal between them for the veteran to come back for his 17th season.

Sherman reported that the deal is in place pending a physical, which will take place two days from now. Barring any unforeseen injuries or setbacks there, Clayton Kershaw will return to the only MLB team he's known for a 17th season.

He began his MLB career with the Dodgers in 2008 and has not been to any other team. The premier left-handed pitcher of his generation, he doesn't seem to be headed to another roster anytime soon.

The earlier reporting stated that Kershaw would be back in LA for "at least" one year. The details of the current contract haven't been revealed yet, but it could be for more than just this season.

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Clayton Kershaw returning to Dodgers for one more season

If there was ever a time for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw to go their separate ways, it was now. The team made sweeping additions to a pitching rotation that has suddenly seen an influx of health for its incumbent members, Kershaw not counting since he was a free agent.

Clayton Kershaw is back in LA

Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto all pitch (quite well, too) and were brought in this offseason. They join a recovering Walker Buehler and second-year stud Bobby Miller.

However, the two sides couldn't part. Kershaw is back, and a key stipulation in one of their additions may be why. Ohtani can't pitch right now since he had Tommy John surgery. He can hit, but he won't pitch.

That means there is theoretically one spot in the rotation still up for grabs, and it needs a left-handed pitcher since the rest of the pitchers are right-handed. Kershaw fills that void perfectly, though if only for one season.