Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is a free agent for the first time in his career. The Dodgers legend has been in LA throughout his entire MLB career, but with the open market looming, there's a chance Kershaw will pitch for another team in 2022. One former teammate reportedly told Bob Nightengale that he thinks there are two realistic options for Kershaw, and neither of them are the Dodgers.
In Nightengale's recent report, he alleged that one of Kershaw's former Dodgers teammates believes the lefty will either sign with his hometown Texas Rangers or call it a career and head off into retirement.
That's a shocking claim from the former Dodgers teammate of Kershaw, though Nightengale did not state who the individual was. Kershaw has long been linked to a potential move to the Rangers, where he'd be pitching close to where he grew up in Dallas.
Prior to the lockout, Kershaw had been linked with a potential move to Texas. Of course, the hometown ties will always be there, but Rangers manager Chris Woodward has worked with Kershaw in the past, back when the former was a member of the Dodgers' coaching staff. That connection could prove fruitful in the Rangers' pursuit to bring Kershaw to Texas. Additionally, the Rangers snapped up Marcus Semien and Corey Seager this offseason, showcasing just how serious the club is about pursuing the playoffs in 2022.
Of course, the anonymous teammate also suggested the southpaw is mulling retirement. Kershaw has battled injuries throughout the past few seasons. The 33-year-old hasn't thrown more than 200 innings in a single season since 2015, and he's only surpassed the 175 innings mark once since then. If he no longer feels like he has enough in the tank to keep going amid his myriad injuries, perhaps Kershaw will end up calling it a career.
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