Clayton Kershaw's contract details with Dodgers revealed and they're spot on

In retrospect, the way Clayton Kershaw revealed he would be officially returning to the Dodgers in 2025 was kind of perfect. He just showed up to the team's spring training facility on Tuesday, before the media could report that an agreement on a new deal had been reached. Even without an official deal, he walked in like his presence was a foregone conclusion, because it was.

Details weren't revealed immediately, but it was safe to assume that it would be a one-year deal. Although the Dodgers would never turn him away, 2025 will be Kershaw's 18th and age-37 season in LA, and it's become clear over the last four seasons that he's struggling to stay healthy.

The new deal became official on Thursday morning, now that the Dodgers can move Kershaw to the 60-day IL without bumping anyone off of the 40-man roster.

FanSided insider Robert Murray reported that he'll receive a base salary of $7.5 million, but he'll also get $1 million each for 13-16 games started, along with $2.5 million for 30 days on the active roster, $1 million for 60, and another $1 million for 90, for a max value of $16 million.

Clayton Kershaw contract details make it obvious Dodgers are uncertain he'll stay healthy

Kershaw turned down a guaranteed $5 million for 2025 when he opted out of his previous agreement but had the opportunity to make up to $15 million. This year might be Kershaw's last hoorah, so it sort of makes sense that the Dodgers would give him more guaranteed money but tread with caution with the conditional $8.5 million. The base salary still respects Kershaw's history with the team and acknowledges that he should never be underestimated, but the escalators give them some safeguards if he doesn't manage to stay healthy.

As things stand, Kershaw isn't expected to join the active roster until the summer after two surgeries in the offseason. It'll be paramount that the rest of the rotation stays healthy enough to give all of the guys who really need a six-man rotation — Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Shohei Ohtani — that extra time off between starts.

It's going to be a balancing act, and the Dodgers' history of injury isn't reassuring, but if it works and if Kershaw manages to find a last burst of greatness, LA's rotation will be one of the best in baseball, if not the best.