Former Dodgers GM Reveals How Close LA Was to Losing Clayton Kershaw

Sep 28, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to send future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw off with a third World Series ring after he announced his retirement from the game of baseball last month.

Although it is hard to imagine the 18-year veteran in any other uniform, former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti recently revealed just how close his team was to never drafting Kershaw to begin with.

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There was a detail than many forget about back in 2005, and that was the Dodgers first-round selection of Luke Hochevar never signing with the team.

Hochevar would go back to the University of Tennessee that year and would wind up becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft.

Missing out on signing Luke Hochevar in 2005, led the Dodgers to draft Clayton Kershaw in 2006.@Dodgers | @realnedcolletti | #LetsGoDodgers
🔗 https://t.co/fGPbvbj8w4 pic.twitter.com/wjeqcpwA3b

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) September 21, 2025

Colletti detailed how due to a highly-touted arm being available the next season, the pitching needs for each team were all pushed back by one, starting with Hochevar going first. Four pitchers would follow him until the Dodgers picked Kershaw with the No. 7 overall selection.

The pick right before LA was from the Detroit Tigers, taking fellow southpaw Andrew Miller. He would still go on to attain two All-Star selections, an ALCS MVP award, and won the Rivera award for the being the best relief pitcher in the American League in 2015.

Colletti, however, clarified that Kershaw falling to his team was fortunate, but very much part of the plan.

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"We didn't want to execute any other plans, Clayton's the guy we wanted," said the former general manager.

As Kershaw pitched in his final regular season start of his illustrious career at the end of last month, a seven-strikeout performance through 5.2 scoreless innings against the AL powerhouse Seattle Mariners, there is still more work to do for the three-time Cy Young award winner.

The Dodgers didn't have Kersh on the Wild Card series roster, likely due to him pitching so close to the postseason starting, the southpaw is on the NLDS roster and looks to be a key option coming out of relief.

The bullpen is something that has been a major point of contention for the Dodgers lately, but if he can use the extent of his powers to help hoist another Commissioner's Trophy, in what would be the final pitches of his MLB career this postseason, it will be a story book ending to an otherworldly career.

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.