2K14: Clayton Kershaw

[DJBeasties]

Anyone not have him as their #1 SP on their board?

Ever since I saw Kershaw make then-Red Sox Sean Casey knee buckle on a curveball in Spring Training as a rookie, I have been enamored with him. He has grown into a legit fantasy ace and anchor. It looks like this year you will need to pay a high price to get him though as it looks like he's going to be a top 10 pick in standard mixed leagues.

What's not to like? To borrow JonCarlos' phrase, you have to "squint pretty hard" to see anything wrong in this pitcher's profile. He's only 24 years old and has elite K numbers and superior command. He will give you 200+IP, and has been extremely consistent and healthy.

When I was digging on Kershaw I was a little alerted by the gap in his ERA and xERA. Last year his ERA was 2.53 but his xERA was 3.23 which usually signifies that a correction could be coming. But then I looked further back and Kershasw outpaces his xERA every year, usually by a half of a run to a full run.


Pitchers are volatile but he has everything you look for in your fantasy ace when doing draft prep.

Projection

205 IP
18 W
8 L
2.81 ERA
215 Ks

[Sour Masher]

In a keeper league, I have him number 1. I too have always love the guy, and I have had him since he was in the minors in my keeper league. I believed so much in him, I gave him a max five year deal, even though some folks here said to never give any SP more than 2 years. I have not regretted my decision.

All that said, for just this year, it is hard to put him above Verlander. #2 right behind JV though. I think those projections are on target, and maybe a little conservative in the innings and ks categories.

[cavebird]

I would have him at #1 or #1A, but he's kept in so many leagues that he's often just off the board entirely.

[revo]

7 years, $215m extension. YOWZA.

[Grinch]

7 years, $215m extension. YOWZA.

What effect does this have on their bidding for Tanaka?

[rhd]

What effect does this have on their bidding for Tanaka?

Dodgers are drowning in cash, so I dont think it will affect their pursuit of Tanaka.

[FBJunkie415]

Imagine if they get Tanaka. How much would they pay in luxury taxes? Do the owners even care?

[revo]

Imagine if they get Tanaka. How much would they pay in luxury taxes? Do the owners even care?

Well, the Dodgers signed a 25-yr deal with TWC for their TV rights for $8.5bn. Taking out the revenue sharing, the Dodgers are still making $240m a year from that deal. So -- probably not.

[chancellor]

7 years, $215m extension. YOWZA.

Wowwwwww...ok, I readily agree he's the best pitcher in baseball by a wide margin, but that's $32 mil/year, no? Staggers the mind.

[Moonlight J]

A fine contract by the Dodgers

[Sour Masher]

Your math is a little off. It is 30.7 mil a year. It is an insane amount, but Kershaw is a perfect storm of talent, age, and durability right now. I am never a fan of any contract over 200 mil or over 5 years for pitchers, but if you are going to do this for someone, Kershaw it is. People are comparing this to other big failed deals, like Arod or Pujols, but Kershaw is just 25. They are paying for his prime years. I think Kershaw's deal will end up being the best 200 mil plus deal to date by a wide margin.

[gcstomp]

I wonder how the 215 mill was determined. The 30 mill a year wasnt enough, agent said we need an extra 5 mill on top or its a no go? As if a contract equal to the gnp of the bottom 7 countries in the world isnt enough? (Hyperbole, I didnt actually research that.) Really is mind numbing amount. Am I the only one who feels sick by the amount of wealth some of these guys "earn" playing ball in their jammies when there exists so much profound poverty in this country, primarily a burden enjoyed by single mothers working minimum wage jobs? I am out of order, I suppose. He is the best pitcher in the game, and these salaries are a product of tv contracts and gate/merch revenue, so I guess bravo to Clayton and the Dodgers.

[madducks]

I'm surprised he didn't get 10 years and $300 million. Kershaw can opt out after 5 years and become a free agent when he is 30 years old. If he plays out the contract he is still only 32 years old when it expires. Young enough to get another big payday.

Glad to see a nice guy like him get paid. From what i've read, Kershaw and his wife do a lot of good charity work with their money. So i'm sure they'll do more good with it than some players.

[james33]

I recall reading a couple years ago something about relating how many wins a player is worth to how many dollars an extra win is worth for a team. Am I making any sense? By that metric, I wonder whether Kershaw's performance in the last couple years was worth $30m/year?

[Stephen]

That comes out to approximately $9800 a pitch. A Pitch.