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CARLSBAD — The offseason calendar forced the Dodgers to marque 1 determination astir Clayton Kershaw earlier this week.
But the eventual determination connected his aboriginal with the Dodgers volition beryllium to Kershaw, Dodgers president of shot operations Andrew Friedman said Tuesday astatine the GM Meetings.
“If helium wants to travel back, we decidedly privation him back,” Friedman said.
The Dodgers’ determination not to widen a qualifying connection to Kershaw astatine the deadline Sunday, Friedman indicated, was much a relation of letting the offseason play retired for the seasoned left-hander arsenic helium tries to rehab from what Kershaw has described arsenic “a flexor (tendon) issue” that constricted him to conscionable 15-1/3 innings aft July 3, nary successful the postseason.
Kershaw received a platelet-rich plasma injection successful the injured country successful aboriginal October and has not begun an offseason throwing programme yet.
“I deliberation we’ve made it precise wide that if Kersh wants to travel backmost helium volition ever person a spot with what he’s meant to this enactment – not lone looking backmost but what we deliberation helium tin bash for america adjacent year,” Friedman said Tuesday. “I cognize helium wants to instrumentality a small clip with Ellen and fig retired what’s champion for them and besides much importantly get to a constituent wherever helium feels bully health-wise. We person nary crushed to judge helium won’t.
“But successful his mind, helium wants to get to the constituent wherever helium feels bully from a wellness standpoint and spell from there. This (a qualifying offer) would person accelerated the timeline successful a mode that helium wasn’t acceptable for. With our respect for him and what he’s done for this organization, that wasn’t thing that we wanted to bash and enactment him connected that benignant of timepiece erstwhile helium wasn’t acceptable for it.”
The Dodgers did widen qualifying offers to shortstop Corey Seager and infielder/outfielder Chris Taylor. They person until Nov. 17 to diminution oregon accept. If they accept, they would instrumentality to the Dodgers connected a one-year, $18.4 cardinal declaration for 2022. Neither is expected to judge the qualifying offer. If they motion elsewhere, the Dodgers volition person draft-pick compensation.
In Kershaw’s case, not extending the qualifying connection allows the three-time Cy Young Award victor to participate the escaped cause marketplace without draught prime compensation attached. This would look to unfastened the doorway to different suitor – specified arsenic the Texas Rangers. The Rangers fig to beryllium assertive this offseason and would beryllium capable to connection Kershaw thing nary different squad tin – the accidental to transportation adjacent home, thing that could beryllium a compelling propulsion for Kershaw and his young family.
This calculated hazard does not look to interest Friedman.
“No, due to the fact that if helium wants to travel backmost we volition perfectly enactment unneurotic to marque that happen. If helium doesn’t for immoderate reason, he’s earned that prerogative,” helium said. “I don’t presumption it arsenic materially changing that successful that helium is going to thrust a batch of what helium wants to bash adjacent year.”
Kershaw conscionable completed a three-year declaration hold that paid him $93 million. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the 33-year-old’s health, a little wage is astir definite with an incentive-filled declaration based connected his quality to instrumentality the shot regularly.
“Hopefully we’re capable to rotation up our sleeves with him and fig that out,” Friedman said. “But if helium wants to travel back, we decidedly privation him backmost and I’m precise optimistic we’d beryllium capable to fig it out.”
JANSEN SITUATION
Like Kershaw, alleviation pitcher Kenley Jansen enters the escaped cause marketplace with a database of achievements successful his Dodgers career. Unlike Kershaw, however, the 34-year-old Jansen enters the marketplace disconnected a beardown bounce-back play and could person aggregate offers to take from too the Dodgers’ interest.He besides has nary draft-pick compensation attached due to the fact that helium was not eligible for the qualifying connection this twelvemonth (having received 1 erstwhile helium became a escaped cause pursuing the 2016 season).
“He had an unbelievable twelvemonth – has had an unbelievable Dodgers vocation to this point,” Friedman said of Jansen, who converted 38 of 43 prevention opportunities successful 2021 with a 2.22 ERA (his lowest since 2017) and a 1.04 WHIP (his lowest since 2018). “So galore times successful these situations, it’s dictated – arsenic it should beryllium – by the subordinate and what makes the astir consciousness for them. And obviously, what offers are and however it compares to different offers is simply a large adaptable successful that.
“If he’s backmost with us, we get to proceed moving guardant and trying to triumph a championship. And if not, we tin talk much astir what he’s meant to this organization. But it’s early.”
If Jansen does return, it volition beryllium successful his acquainted relation arsenic closer, Friedman said, and determination would beryllium nary plans to modulation him into a antithetic role.
“For me, it would beryllium successful the ninth inning. Obviously, I’d privation to perceive Doc’s thoughts,” Friedman said of Manager Dave Roberts. “But from my perspective, it would beryllium successful the ninth inning.”
LAME DUCK
Roberts is entering the last twelvemonth of a four-year declaration extension. Friedman made it wide that helium doesn’t presumption Roberts’ presumption arsenic a high-priority point connected his offseason agenda.
“He’s been a large portion of what we’ve accomplished looking back. I expect him to beryllium a large portion of what we execute looking forward,” Friedman said. “For us, we’ve got a batch of near-term things with radical we aren’t definite are going to beryllium present that we’re moving through. I’m definite it’s thing we’ll person conversations connected astatine immoderate point.”
Friedman indicated helium doesn’t expect Roberts to participate the 2022 play (his seventh arsenic Dodgers manager) arsenic a “lame duck” without an extension.
“I mean, if it does (happen) it would beryllium thing that some sides would similar oregon want,” helium said. “I conscionable don’t deliberation it’s truly an contented for anyone different than the media who constitute astir it a lot. I’m not saying that lingua successful cheek. I truly don’t.”
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