On Thursday, homegrown Dodger and future Cooperstown first-balloter Clayton Kershaw announced his intention to retire from baseball following the conclusion of his 18th season in Los Angeles.
Dodgers fans could sort of feel that the end was approaching, but it was a shocking piece of news for the Dodgers to announce on a random Thursday afternoon. Kershaw has been signing what have ostensibly been one-year deals with the club since 2022, and in the offseason between 2023 and 2024, there were some rumblings that he might call it a day when his free agency went on a lot longer than anyone expected.