Texas Rangers Signing Clayton Kershaw 'Very Much' In Play

A union between the Texas Rangers and Clayton Kershaw could still be in the works. If anything, it’s more likely now with Max Scherzer on the shelf for the opening months of the 2024 season.

The longtime Los Angeles Dodgers starter also won’t be ready for start of next season, but that could work in the favor of the World Series champions. Kershaw, 35, is rehabbing from surgery on his left shoulder and likely won’t be available until after the All-Star break.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote that Kershaw remains a serious option for Texas, which also expects Jacob deGrom back after the break.

Using similar logic, the Rangers on Thursday signed free-agent righty Tyler Mahle to a two-year, $22 million deal. Mahle underwent Tommy John surgery in May and likely will be out until at least mid-season. Kershaw is on a similar timetable coming off surgery to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and capsule in his left shoulder. But a source briefed on the Rangers’ thinking described him as still “very much” in play.

Kershaw is from Dallas, and attended the same high school (Highland Park) as Rangers general manager Chris Young. The long-held belief is that if the three-time Cy Young Award winner ever plays for another team other than the Dodgers, it would be his hometown Rangers.

Young has said a club can never have enough pitching, and that certainly holds true for Texas. The defending champs were dealt a blow when Scherzer underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc, delaying his likely return to June or July.

The Texas rotation to open 2024 currently includes Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning. Cody Bradford is another option. A reunion with free agent Jordan Montgomery also remains a possibility.

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