The Dodgers announced on Wednesday night that the club and starter Clayton Kershaw have agreed to extend his opt-out deadline until Friday at 4 PM ET.
Kershaw, 30, can opt out of his current contract to become a free agent or he can stay on his current contract which would pay him $32 million in 2019 and $33 million in 2020. The two sides can also work out a new contract extension as well.
Kershaw finished this past season with a 2.73 ERA and a 155/29 K/BB ratio in 161 1/3 innings. He had mixed results in the postseason as his team won three of his six starts while he allowed 15 runs (14 earned) on 25 hits and seven walks with 26 strikeouts in 30 innings.
Notably, Kershaw failed to reach 30 starts for the third consecutive season and for the fourth time in the last five seasons. He has been bothered by back issues in recent years. Among seasons in which he has pitched 110 or more innings, Kershaw’s strikeout rate this past season at 23.9 was a career low as was his 90.9 MPH average fastball velocity.