(UPDATED October 31, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. PT)

As Dodger fans anxiously await for the clock to strike midnight … literally, they are no closer to knowing whether or not their beloved left-handed ace Clayton Kershaw will be a career Dodger or if he will elect to opt out of his current seven-year / $215 million contract with $65 million of it still on the table.

If the 30-year-old Dallas, Texas native and Dodgers 2006 first round draft pick out of Highland Park High School in University Park, Texas chooses not to opt out, he is guaranteed $32 million for the 2019 season and $33 million for 2020; not exactly a bad problem to have. However, if he does indeed opt out, he will be doing so for the sole purpose of landing an even larger – and longer – contract to insure even greater financial stability, in the event that $215 million might not be enough (said tongue in cheek, of course).

We could learn as early as today and absolutely will by tomorrow whether or not Kershaw’s start in Game-5 of the 2018 World Series was his last in a Dodgers uniform. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

Although the general consensus among Dodger fans seems to be right around 50-50 on whether or not they want Kershaw to be the next – and perhaps last – player to retire as a career Dodger since beloved Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier did so this past July after 12 seasons in Dodger Blue, or simply wish to thank him for his remarkable Hall of Fame-worthy services for the past 11 seasons and send him on his way, thereby saving the franchise the aforementioned $65 million. But whichever way you personally choose to look at it, there is zero doubt that the onetime “best pitcher on the planet” no longer is.

Now this most certainly isn’t to say or even suggest that Kershaw is not and cannot still be a dominant starting pitcher, Lord knows he most certainly can and, in fact, was during most of his 26 starts this past season.

During the just-concluded 2018 regular season, Kershaw posted a 9-5 record with an outstanding 2.73 earned run average. Additionally, and by every account, he very easily could have (and should have) won an additional seven games, had he received even slightly more run support from his teammates. In fact, of Kershaw’s 26 regular season starts in 2018, the Dodgers lost 11 of them by three or fewer runs, including four by one run.

A lack of run support indeed.

Obviously, not all of these 11 losses were Kershaw’s fault, in fact, most were not. That blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the Dodgers bullpen which, at times, went through stretches of ineptitude of biblical proportions during the 2018 season (and postseason). In other words, even a bad day at the office for the hard-throwing future Hall of Famer was often better than a good day at the office for most other starting pitchers, and quite regularly.

Another enormous concern among Dodger fans and even more so for those who must ultimately decide whether or not to offer Kershaw a (presumably) lengthy contract extension to remain in Los Angeles if he does indeed opt out is his health.

As every Dodger fan on the planet knows, the veteran left-hander has been dealing with recurring lower back issues that landed him on the disabled list several times over the past three seasons. And, as those of us long in tooth (aka: old) know all-too-well, these things tend to get worse with age not better, so there’s that to take into consideration before inking a deal that is expected to be in the five to six-year range … if he indeed opts out.

Although we may learn of Kershaw’s (and his agent Casey Close’s) opt-out decision prior to Wednesday night’s midnight deadline, we also may not. This is Hollywood, after all.

Stay tuned…

  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  

UPDATED October 31, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. PT

The Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw, and his agent Casey Close have mutually agreed to extend the opt-out clause deadline until Friday, November 2, 2018 at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).