3 Free Agents the Red Sox Must Target This Offseason (and 2 to Avoid)
By Tyler Maher
5. AVOID: Clayton Kershaw
Kershaw is like the older version of Urias — a lefty who’s flourished with the Dodgers and is one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy.
Unfortunately, he’s going to be 36 next year and has a ton of mileage on his arm. He’s also pretty injury-prone and can’t seem to stay healthy, as the last time he made 30 starts in a season was 2015.
The quality is still there with Kershaw, but the Red Sox need quantity. They need reliable starting pitchers who can soak up innings, not another Chris Sale.
Kershaw’s also been notoriously underwhelming in the playoffs, going 13-12 with a 4.22 ERA in 194 postseason innings. In a big game, he’s not really a guy you want on the mound.
Furthermore, Kershaw began showing several signs of decline this year:
- 3.99 FIP – worst since rookie season
- 1.05 WHIP – worst since 2010
- 1.3 HR/9 – second-worst of career
- 2.7 BB/9 – worst since 2010
- 9.4 K/9 – worst since 2018
Those are all definite warning signs that Kershaw’s best days are behind him. He’s still great, don’t get me wrong, but investing in him at this stage of his career is incredibly risky. Boston would be much better off signing a younger pitcher closer to his prime years like the three mentioned above.
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