Why Dodgers fans don't have to worry about Clayton Kershaw opting out of contract

During the Dodgers' World Series celebration, Clayton Kershaw closed out his emotional remarks to fans at Dodger Stadium by putting to bed any stray worry that he might not return to LA for at least one more season, proclaiming himself as a "Dodger for life."

When Kershaw re-signed with the Dodgers this season, it was for one guaranteed year at $7.5 million and carried with it a player option for 2025. It seemed relatively obvious that he would exercise that option (worth $10 million) after what he promised to fans, but it sent a shock through the system when he opted out on Monday, after he told reporters than he'd be undergoing two surgeries to address his toe and knee this offseason.

However, fans shouldn't be worried.

While the whiplash from "Dodger for life" to declining a player option was jarring, we have every reason to believe that Kershaw will go back to the drawing board with the team to restructure a new deal.

Clayton Kershaw declined his player option with Dodgers for 2025, but he's given every indication that he'll return

Even before the Dodgers had won the World Series, Kershaw told Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, and Derek Jeter on the Fox pregame panel that he wasn't going to retire at the end of the season and would "come back next year and give it a go." He said it while wearing Dodger blue while representing the Dodgers in the championship round, so it was immediately pretty clear that he wasn't going to go back onto the open market.

Everything he's said in the aftermath of the win has pointed to another reunion with the Dodgers, and it definitely can't just be chalked up to adrenaline and the high of experiencing the celebration in LA. Kershaw still hasn't gotten the chance to shake his postseason reputation in front of a crowd, and the Dodgers have proven that no one will give him a better shot at it than them.

The timeline to Kershaw's return is still TBD, so it's likely that a new deal will include less guaranteed money with performance-based incentives built in. But no matter what it eventually looks like, he'll be back in LA for 2025.