“Tho we gotta say goodbye for the summer, Darling I promise you this, I’ll send you all my love every day in a letter, sealed with a kiss.” 

(Brian Hyland)

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The 2022 baseball season is now officially over. And much to the chagrin of nearly every baseball fan on the planet, the previously confirmed cheating Houston Astros are the champions of baseball.

To be fair, it is impossible not to feel good for third-year Astros and 25-year MLB manager Dusty Baker, who was brought onboard by Astros ownership to do exactly what he did – turn ‘America’s Most Wanted’ baseball franchise into America’s most successful, accomplishing this daunting task in only three seasons.

But putting Dusty Baker and the Astros aside (which isn’t all that difficult for Dodgers fans to do), it’s time to begin focusing on what the Dodgers want to and need to do to return as America’s real most successful baseball franchise for 2023 – and beyond.

As noted in Sunday’s piece, the Dodgers have 21 free agents on their current 40-man roster; this in addition to having 12 arbitration-eligible players. That’s 33 of those aforementioned 40 players that Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and Dodgers ownership must make decisions on in a matter of hours and days, not weeks and months.

Among the most import, if not the most important decision facing Friedman (et al.), is what to do with future Hall of Fame left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who, after 15 major league seasons (all with the Dodgers), is one of those aforementioned Dodgers free agents.

The knee-jerk (and emotional) reaction is, of course, that Friedman will absolutely re-sign the 34-year-old Dallas, TX native and Dodgers first round draft pick in 2006 out of Highland Park High School in University Park, TX. But is this – or would it be – the most prudent thing for Friedman to do?

Meaning absolutely no disrespect whatsoever to the (eventual) Cooperstown-bound left-hander, his best days are clearly behind him; something that he himself has openly acknowledged. However, Kershaw also said that he is “leaning towards” returning in 2023.

“As of now, I haven’t really thought a whole lot about next year, but I do think I’m leaning towards playing over not, for sure,” Kershaw recently told LA Times Dodgers beat writer Dylan Hernandez. “I hold the right to change my mind, but as of today, I think that I’ve got at least one more run.”

It was recently reported (or at least rumored on social media) that Kershaw might be willing to sign with a team closer to his Dallas, TX home to be closer to his family. Fortunately (if you can call it that), it would more than likely be with the Texas Rangers in Arlington and not with ‘America’s Most Wanted.’

Will Clayton Kershaw return for a 16th MLB season in 2023, and will it be with the Dodgers?

Stay tuned…

Play Ball!

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