Dodgers’ Kershaw Becomes First $200 Million Pitcher

Clayton Kershaw won two National League Cy Young Awards, three earned run average titles, two strikeout titles and made three trips to the playoffs before turning 26 years old. Now he has another distinction: Kershaw is baseball's first $200 million pitcher.

Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers' ace left-hander, reached an agreement Wednesday to stay with the team for seven years and $215 million, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal. The person was granted anonymity because the deal will not be officially announced until later this week.

Kershaw, who turns 26 in March, becomes the first player ever with a contract averaging at least $30 million per season. He was eligible for salary arbitration and could have been a free agent after this season. Instead, he will be the long-term leader of a rotation that had the best E.R.A. in the majors last season, at 3.13, and advanced to the N.L. Championship Series.

Kershaw's contract eclipses the deal signed last spring by Detroit's Justin Verlander, who signed for seven years and $180 million. That deal topped the previous record-holder, Felix Hernandez, who got seven years and $175 million from Seattle."Big winner today ... me," the Dodgers' catcher, A.J. Ellis, said on Twitter. "I am blessed to catch best in the game for foreseeable future God willing. Congrats Kersh!"

Kershaw was the best pitcher in the majors last season despite a misleading 16-9 record. He led the league in E.R.A. (1.89), strikeouts (232) and walks-plus-hits per inning pitched (0.915). He has led the league in all three categories in each of the last three seasons, except for strikeouts in 2012, when he was one strikeout behind R.A. Dickey.

Verlander turns 31 next month and Hernandez turns 28 in April. Kershaw's age and performance made him the ideal candidate to exceed their deals. Kershaw will be only 32 when this contract ends. There were reports that the deal included an opt-out close after the fifth year when he will be 30. Drafted out of a Texas high school in 2006, Kershaw made his major league debut two years later, at age 20. He is 77-46 with a 2.60 E.R.A. in his career.

Kershaw becomes the sixth different major leaguer to sign a $200 million contract, and just the second to do so without the leverage of free agency, joining Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds.

The others with contracts worth $200 million include Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels; Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners; Prince Fielder, who signed his deal with the Tigers but now plays for the Texas Rangers; and the suspended Yankee Alex Rodriguez, who has signed two such contracts.

The Dodgers have five players under contract for more than $140 million and are one of several teams pursuing the star Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who is expected to command another nine-figure deal. Tanaka, who is the Yankees' primary target, has a Jan. 24 deadline to reach an agreement.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/16/sports/baseball/dodgers-kershaw-becomes-first-200-million-pitcher.html?ref=baseball&_r=0