Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman does not sound ready to let Clayton Kershaw go — not really. Even after a storybook farewell that closed one of the most iconic playing careers in franchise history, Friedman is already plotting the next chapter of Kershaw’s Dodgers life. Just not on the mound.
Appearing on Foul Territory last week, Friedman made a direct and emotional pitch for Kershaw to return to the organization as a member of the front office or scouting department, openly acknowledging what many within the Dodgers ecosystem already believe: Kershaw’s value to the franchise did not end with his final pitch. “We want him around,” Friedman said, making little attempt to hide his intentions. It was less a subtle hint than a public recruitment effort aimed at a future Hall of Famer whose influence still looms large over Chavez Ravine.
There is, however, one complication. According to multiple reports, Kershaw is nearing a broadcasting deal with NBC, a move that would shift his immediate post-playing career from decision-making rooms to the broadcast booth. For Friedman and the Dodgers, that means patience may be required.
If the deal comes together as expected, Kershaw could be back at Dodger Stadium as soon as Opening Day 2026 — not throwing first-pitch strikes, but calling the action for the team he helped lead to a second consecutive World Series title. It would be a surreal transition for Dodgers fans, hearing Kershaw analyze a game from above only months after he was grinding through innings on the field.
That feeling of closeness is precisely why Friedman’s comments resonated so strongly. During his Foul Territory appearance, Friedman made a point of reminding viewers that Kershaw was second on the Dodgers in regular-season innings pitched in 2025, trailing only Yoshinobu Yamamoto. In a season plagued by injuries, that statistic was more than trivia. It was evidence of Kershaw’s durability, competitiveness, and continued relevance deep into his late 30s.
Yes, the Dodgers leaned on him out of necessity. But they also leaned on him because he could still deliver. Friedman emphasized that point, noting that the club will miss not only Kershaw’s competitive fire in the clubhouse, but the reality that the left-hander was still “really good” at age 37. That assessment was not nostalgia speaking; it was a baseball executive acknowledging that Kershaw could, if he truly wanted to, pitch another season in Major League Baseball.
Yet that option, alluring as it sounds to fans, feels almost beside the point. Kershaw’s exit as a player was immaculate. There was no awkward decline, no forced encore. His final season felt historic, deliberate, and earned — the kind of ending reserved for the rarest of careers. Asking him to disrupt that narrative would feel unnecessary, even unfair, to a figure of his stature.
For those desperate to see him compete again, the upcoming World Baseball Classic will offer one more glimpse of the legendary southpaw in action. Beyond that, Kershaw’s future contributions to the sport appear destined to come from a different angle.
Broadcasting is the immediate path, and it makes sense. Kershaw has always been candid, incisive, and refreshingly blunt — traits that translate perfectly to television. His ability to cut through clichés and explain the game without sugarcoating reality would make him an instant standout behind the microphone. NBC clearly sees that potential.
But Friedman’s vision stretches further. In his ideal scenario, Kershaw eventually finds his way back into the Dodgers’ inner circle, shaping the organization from within. And it is not hard to see why. Few players in the modern era have spent more time at the highest levels of the game. Fewer still understand pitching, preparation, and competitive psychology the way Kershaw does.
As a player evaluator, he would be formidable. His instincts, combined with decades of firsthand experience, would carry enormous weight in scouting meetings alongside Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes. Kershaw’s honesty — sometimes brutally so — would be an asset in a front office built on clarity and conviction.
More than anything, Kershaw feels inseparable from the Dodgers’ identity. He is not just a former ace; he is part of the franchise’s DNA. The idea of him drifting permanently away from the organization feels wrong, almost unnatural. Friedman knows it. The fans know it. And even as Kershaw prepares for a new chapter in broadcasting, the door back to Dodger blue remains wide open.
For now, the reunion will have to wait. But this much is clear: Andrew Friedman is not done recruiting Clayton Kershaw — and Dodgers fans are hoping he never is.
