As Andre Ethier and James Loney avoided the arbitration process on Tuesday, Clayton Kershaw did not. Coming off his monster season that earned him the NL's Cy Young Award, he has requested $10 million for the 2012 season, while the Dodgers countered with $6.5 million.
What's certain to happen? He'll definitely get a raise from the $500,000 he made last year. Seriously. Think about it: the best pitcher in the National League earned less than hundreds of other players, and nearly all of them weren't nearly as good. My how one year can change things.
It's hard to forget just how awesome Kershaw was last season... but here's a reminder anyway. He went 21-5 with a 2.28 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 248 strikeouts in 233 1/3 innings pitched. Plus, he gave Dodger fans a reason to care, even in the dog days of summer when winning was few and far between. He was that good.
So now the question is whether or not he'll get what he wants and earn double-digit millions. I would have to think that would be a yes. Look at the facts: he'll be 24 at the start of the season, he's already won a Cy Young Award, and he's arguably the top lefty in baseball already. I know the Dodgers have this whole ownership issue going on, but is $10 million really that unreasonable? I don't think so.
Here's to hoping that Kershaw gets what he wants this year, and will soon get a long-term contract like Kemp did that will keep him in Dodger blue for years and years. Oh, and another Cy Young would be nice!
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