Projected Dodgers rotation after Clayton Kershaw signs on for one more year in L.A.

The Los Angeles Dodgers stay stacked.

Clayton Kershaw was present at the team's facility on Tuesday, and the three-time NL Cy Young winner has agreed to a new contract in L.A., per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. His signing is official, pending a physical.

Kershaw was limited to seven starts last season due to injury, but the 36-year-old's return was never in real doubt. The southpaw has spent his entire 17-year career in a Dodgers uniform to date, making 10 All-Star appearances and winning National League MVP honors in 2014. Kershaw has a couple World Series rings to show for his efforts, and he will go down in history as one of the greatest Dodgers ever.

His return piles onto an already loaded Dodgers rotation. There's almost no way Los Angeles doesn't stretch at least six starters deep, just to accommodate the sheer volume of talent at Dave Roberts' disposal. Kershaw joins Roki Sasaki as one of the most consequential additions to L.A.'s pitching efforts this winter.

A modest 4.50 ERA through seven starts last season was the worst of Kershaw's career. He has been more or less an ace from the jump, so this transition to a less prominent post-prime role is, well, a transition. That said, one has to imagine Kershaw can still stack a few wins and put the Dodgers in a better position, so long as he's healthy. He is also a tremendous mentor for the younger members of this L.A. staff.

Here's how the Dodgers' rotation shapes up with Kershaw.

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Los Angeles Dodgers updated rotation after re-signing Clayton Kershaw

There's really no wrong order for the Dodgers' rotation. All six of these pitchers could credibly claim No. 1 billing on at least a few teams. Tyler Glasnow was an All-Star last season, but he missed the stretch run due to injury. Shohei Ohtani is returning to the mound after his second major elbow surgery. Roki Sasaki, for all his talent, has some durability concerns after battling elbow problems in Japan. Blake Snell has his share of injury baggage, too.

The volume of injury concerns is why the Dodgers' rotation depth is so essential. This team is built to survive a couple untimely ailments, which will inevitable crop up. Dustin May and Bobby Miller were both budding stars not all that long ago, while Brusdar Graterol is expected back for the second half of the 2025 campaign. The Dodgers will also, in due time, roster 14 MLB pitchers thanks to Ohtani's two-way player status, which gives Los Angeles another unique edge. As if they need it.

Kershaw won't pitch 200-plus innings like he used to, but if he can put together 15-20 starts, the Dodgers will be thrilled. That takes pressure off of Glasnow, Sasaki, and Ohtani, who all ought to received scheduled rest throughout the season. The Dodgers want to win as many games as possible and gun for another World Series, but this depth allows them to take the patient approach with key pieces. There's a reason other fanbases are so jealous of L.A.'s setup.

Few players deserve the opportunity to pick up rings on their way out the door more than Kershaw. If this is his final season, which feels likely, at least he can go out as a World Series favorite.