MLB Rumors: 3 free agents the St. Louis Cardinals should avoid at all costs
By Curt Bishop
Clayton Kershaw
While it seems trivial to think that Kershaw would ever leave the Dodgers, he will still be a free agent at the end of the year. At 35, the veteran left-hander is still effective. The three-time Cy Young and former MVP posted a 2.46 ERA during the regular season.
However, injuries have taken their toll on Kershaw over the past several years, and he is not quite the pitcher he once was. Also worth noting is the fact that he tends to struggle in the postseason.
In Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday night, the 35-year-old surrendered six runs to the Arizona Diamondbacks and only recorded one out in the first inning before being lifted and replaced by Emmet Sheehan.
The Cardinals are a team that has had more than their fair share of success against Kershaw in the postseason, and adding him this winter wouldn't give them much of a chance to compete for a deep run into October, something they haven't experienced since 2019.
If Kershaw does pitch next season, it will almost certainly be with the Dodgers. But the left-hander is past his prime, and he is a free agent that the Cardinals and other teams should pass on, should the Dodgers not bring him back.
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