"The choke artist should retire"; "where are they getting the money?" - Fans react as Clayton Kershaw signs $7.5M deal with LA

LA Dodgers fans seemed unpleased at the news of veteran southpaw Clayton Kershaw signing a one-year, $7.5 million deal to remain with the club for the 2025 campaign.

Fans took to social media to express their discontent and even surprise at the news of Kersahaw’s new contract.

“Honestly where are they getting the money….,” a fan wrote.

“As a Dodger fan, I hate this. The choke artist should retire,” another fan said.

“$7.5 million for a pitching coach,” a fan posted.

Meanwhile, other fans took advantage of the opportunity to make light of the situation:

“Long relief or mop up duty?” a fan weighed in.

“I was thinking $200k and free tickets to clubhouse. Coach Kersh!” another fan wrote.

“He will barely play lol,” one fan remarked.

It remains to be seen how much the 37-year-old veteran has left in the tank. Kershaw made seven starts last season, going 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 30 innings pitched. With his injury history over the last few seasons, there’s no telling how much Kershaw could contribute to the Dodgers’ pitching staff this season.

Clayton Kershaw talks about rehabbing from offseason surgery

MLB.com caught up with Clayton Kershaw to talk about his feelings regarding his new one-year deal with the LA Dodgers. In an interview on Thursday, Kershaw said:

“It’s good. The timing worked out to get back. You know, it was good for both sides to go through offseason rehab and see how it goes.”

By the looks of things, Kershaw feels well enough to be able to pitch in 2025 and contribute to one of the deepest staffs in baseball history. Regarding the rehab from injury, Kershaw said:

“The foot surgery has been hard. It’s not a fun surgery. It’s just not an easy process. Walking and all that stuff has been hard. But it started to turn a corner a few weeks ago and being able to throw and all those things.”

The recovery from injury has progressed enough to the point where Kershaw is comfortable enough to get back on the mound.

“It hasn’t felt like this in a while. So, that’s good and the knee’s been fine. So, really within the last month, I knew it was going to turn the corner at some point,” he added.

At this point, there’s no clear timetable for Clayton Kershaw’s return to the mound. The expectation is that Kershaw will be able to hit the mound sooner rather than later this season.