Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw has started to decline.  At 30, he’s not the pitcher he once was.  Despite this fact Los Angeles agreed to a new deal for three years and $93 million.

Kershaw spoke about the new deal, which adds a third year and $28 million to the two years he had remaining on his previous deal that he could have opted out of and entered free agency, via MLB:

“Winning is still the most important for me, that won’t change,” Kershaw said. “And I think this deal as well gives me a chance to prove a lot of people wrong. This year especially, maybe rightfully so, there’s been a lot of people saying I’m in decline. I’m not going to be as good as I once was. I’m looking forward to proving a lot of people wrong with that.

“I really believe that for three years, I can be just as good as I ever have been. I’m not saying I can’t be good past that, but that’s as long as I’m willing to commit to right now. I feel really good about that chunk of time and I feel really good about being productive for that time.”

Congratulations Los Angeles, you won a bidding war with yourself.  If Kershaw opted out and entered the open market, he would have had a big surprise.  

There is no way a team would have given him the $65 million over two years that he opted out of, let alone three years for $93 million.  

There’s a reason people are saying he’s in decline, because he’s in decline.  Add that to his injury problems over the past three years and there’s no way he’s worth $93 million.