Clayton Kershaw gives verdict on Dodgers bullpen after Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates additions

Clayton Kershaw is confident in the Dodgers' bullpen in light of the team's recent acquisitions of high-end relief pitchers. He believes the presence of Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates makes the team special.

Kershaw recently re-signed with the Dodgers for a one-year $7,500,000 contract. A 10x All-Star, the 36-year-old has won three Cy Young Awards and was also the 2014 NL MVP.

Kershaw shared his thoughts about the Dodgers' bullpen in an interview with Alana Rizzo and A.J. Pierzynski on Foul Territory on Monday. He said [from 6:46]:

"On paper, it's pretty special. You know, now we got to go play, obviously, that's the biggest thing. But yeah, if you look at the back of the baseball cards of a lot of these guys, it should be pretty special."

The 3x Cy Young winner tempered unhealthy expectations due to the unpredictability of the sport.

"You know, and now every year's different. You know, some guy that was good last year doesn’t mean they're going to be good necessarily this year. But overall, you got to bet on it," Kershaw added [6:57].

The veteran pitcher also hailed Andrew Friedman, the president of baseball operations for the Dodgers. Pointing out that the team didn't have surplus pitchers last season, Kershaw noted Friedman addressed those worries, having recently acquired Scott for $72M and Yates for $13M.

Clayton Kershaw on Mookie Betts playing shortstop: "Mookie doesn't do anything bad"

Mookie Betts received massive praise from his Dodgers teammate Clayton Kershaw for his move to shortstop. Kershaw pointed out Betts' new role will give more flexibility to the team.

Playing at right field, Mookie Betts has won the Gold Glove six times, twice for the Dodgers and the rest for the Boston Red Sox, where he played from 2014 to 2019.

Speaking on the aforementioned interview on Foul Territory, Kershaw noted how difficult it is for Betts to make the transition to shortstop.

"I think that just goes to this team, you know?" Kershaw said [3:12]. "I think Mookie is bought in, and um, yeah, like you said, Mookie doesn't do anything bad, but that's not an easy thing to do. Like, I can't imagine trying to play short up in the big leagues when you haven't done it."

Clayton Kershaw also noted that with Betts playing shortstop, this will give opportunities for Michael Conforto. A $17,000,000 free agent signing, Conforto impressed in his spring training outings.