Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw Could Wait Until He's Fully Healthy Before Signing in Free Agency

More than a month has passed since MLB players and owners failed to reach a compromise on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which has left hundreds of players unemployed. While we're at least a month away (definitely more) from anything being resolved, the lockout may be a good thing for at least one person - Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.

It has been rumored that Kershaw is taking his time before making any decisions on a new contract. His first priority is his health, as last year was the first time he ever finished a season prematurely due to an injury. Health, according to Sports Illustrated, will be the biggest determining factor in what kind of deal he gets offered this winter, but what the three-time Cy Young winner wants next in his career will probably be the deciding factor.

As in, does Kershaw want to stay in LA?

Related: Corey Seager Revealed He’s Recruiting Clayton Kershaw to Texas

On the Dodgers’ side of things, Andrew Friedman has said that if Kershaw wants to come back, they’ll figure something out. While Clayton’s hometown Texas Rangers have expressed a desire for the future Hall of Famer’s services as well.

One hypothetical may see the 33-year-old stay at home for the first month or so of the 2022 season before making a comeback comparable to Roger Clemens' in 2007. Of course, there has been no actual evidence of such a move, merely speculation on my part. But this approach would allow Kershaw to devote more attention to his rehabilitation and recovery, as well as spend more time resting and recuperating from an October PRP injection in his injured arm/elbow region. It also frees him and the Dodgers from the pressure of having to make a start on opening day.

Make no mistake, as long as his health allows him to, Clayton Kershaw will be pitching in 2022.