Dodgers: What will the rotation look like in three years?

Projecting the 2023 Dodgers Rotation: Clayton Kershaw

Here’s hoping this prediction comes true! Clayton Kershaw‘s contract expires after the 2021 season. But the future Hall-of-Famer has learned during the coronavirus shutdown that he still has the desire to pitch for a long time. He would be 35-years old in 2023, and he could be at the end of his final big-dollar contract.

While it’s hard to expect Kershaw to keep up his incredible run of consistency into his mid-thirties, he might not have to be that kind of pitcher to remain in the rotation. A sub-par Kershaw is still better than a lot of pitchers throwing at their best.

The Dodgers will likely have a veteran or two in their rotation down the road. So far, I’ve focused on candidates who would develop from within their system. If Kershaw isn’t the elder statesman of a future rotation, you can hold this spot for a free agent veteran to be named later.

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But it would be fun to see Kershaw continue to climb the franchise’s all-time leaderboards. He currently sits fifth with 169 wins; he needs 65 more to break Don Sutton’s record. And his 2,464 strikeouts places him third in team history, about 200 shy of Sutton again. By 2023, he should be in good position to create some distance among all-time Dodger greats.