Earlier reports indicate that the Los Angeles Dodgers and starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw have agreed to a contract extension.
The deal is for seven years and worth $215MM, and includes an opt-out clause after five years.
Kershaw's agent Casey Close of Excel Sports Management has secured his client the highest-ever annual salary for any baseball player in history. With an average salary of $30.7MM per year, Clayton Kershaw annual salary has surpassed Alex Rodriguez's ten year $275MM contract and Rodger Clemens' one year $28MM contract.
As an aspiring Sports Agent, this deal has me in awe.
Not only does it make Kershaw the richest player in the game, but it allows him to hit the open market at the young age of just 30 years old - should he exercise his opt out clause after five seasons. Originally he was slated to hit free agency in 2015, but this extension will push a potential free agency stint back to 2020.
The soon-to-be 26 year old is coming off his best season in the majors, posting a 16-9 record with an astounding 1.83 ERA and 0.915 WHIP... and oh yea, he won his second NL Cy Young award in just his sixth MLB season.
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kershaw adds a huge (but seemingly manageable) new obligation to the books, but don't forget the Dodgers recent shopping spree(s) are backed by their unparalleled $340MM TV contract.
It'll be interesting to see where the Los Angeles Dodgers stand in their pursuit of Masahiro Tanaka after today's extension with Clayton Kershaw.
Stay tuned.
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