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LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers want some more time to consider their possible future together, so potential suitors like the Yankees and others will just have to wait.
The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner, who could be a potential target for the Yankees in free agency, and the team agreed to extend the deadline on his opt-out decision by 40 hours until 4 p.m. Eastern Friday.
The team made the announcement a couple hours before the initial 12 a.m. Eastern deadline Thursday.
Kershaw can opt out of the last two years and $65 million of his contract to become a free agent for the first time in an 11-year big league career spent entirely with the Dodgers. They drafted him in 2006.
If he opts out, he could negotiate with any team, including the Dodgers.
There have not been many hot stove rumblings about Kershaw since it seemed likely he’d be back with the Dodgers.
The Yankees, who lost to the eventual world champion the past few years, could use another top-of-the rotation pitcher. The Yankees’ starting rotation is in flux as J.A. Happ and CC Sabathia are free agents and Sonny Gray is on the trading block.
As for Kershaw, he signed a $215 million, seven-year contract in January 2014 that calls for salaries of $32 million next year and $33 million in 2020. He was 9-5 with a 2.73 ERA this season.
At 30, he remains one of baseball’s premier pitchers. But the left-handed ace had two separate stints on the disabled list for the fourth time in five years this season, and his fastball velocity has decreased.
Despite all of his individual accolades, the seven-time All-Star has yet to win a World Series. The Dodgers lost in the Fall Clbadic for the second straight year, falling 4-1 to Boston on Sunday.
Kershaw lost Games 1 and 5 against the Red Sox, and he is 9-10 with a 4.32 in the postseason in his career, including 1-4 with a 6.06 ERA in elimination games. He is 153-69 record with a 2.39 ERA during the regular season.
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