Clayton Kershaw Signing at ‘Home’ with Rangers? Corey Seager Reveals Plan
The Texas Rangers have spent more money in one offseason than any team ever has in the history of baseball. Believe it or not, even after committing $561.2 million to free agents, the Rangers aren't done (though, the MLB lockout is putting their plans on hold).
Corey Seager, the Rangers' $325-million man, won't begin impacting the organization on the field until MLB's lockout concludes and teams break for spring training. Off the field, however, Seager may already be making an impact.
In an interview with WFAA's Jonah Javad after Wednesday's press conference, Seager was asked if he has already reached out to former Dodgers teammate Clayton Kershaw about coming to play with him in Texas.
Seager chuckled, then said: "I've had some talks with Kersh for sure."
The Rangers already addressed their starting rotation this winter with the signing of Jon Gray to a four-year, $56 million contract. However, the Rangers are still looking to add another starter, preferably one that can provide veteran leadership.
Kershaw, a native of Dallas, has been on the Rangers' radar already this offseason, and most in the industry believe the 33-year-old southpaw will either re-sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers—the only team he's played for in his career—or sign with his hometown team.
Signing with the Rangers makes sense for Kershaw off the field. He and his family live in Dallas during the offseason, and a couple of his children are now of school age. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in February, the Kershaws made it sound like signing with Clayton's hometown team is at least an intriguing option—one that would surely make the school year a bit easier.
In the days leading up to the lockout that began on Dec. 2, the Rangers made Arlington a far more attractive destination than it was before. In addition to Seager and Gray, the Rangers also added veteran outfielder Kole Calhoun and American League MVP finalist Marcus Semien. The Rangers have sent an emphatic message to the industry that 102-loss seasons are a thing of the past and contention is on the horizon.
“Now's the time to buy stock in the Rangers,” general manager Chris Young said at November's GM Meetings. “That's how I feel. And that's as a player, that's what you want to hear. You see the good things that are happening. And I think to get in early and be part of that makes it even more special.”
Two big questions remain, and the first revolves around Kershaw's health. The future Hall of Famer missed two months of the 2021 season with a forearm injury, and it was re-aggravated in his final start of the season. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection for it and time will tell if that and whatever rehab it entails will heal the injury.
The second question is if Kershaw is willing to actually put on another uniform. He is arguably the greatest pitcher of his generation, and his legacy in Los Angeles is well-documented.
Then again, another all-time great hurler opted to pitch his final years in a Rangers uniform, and that went pretty well.
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