Kershaw stays in Dodger blue
LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw has heard the chatter that his best years of baseball are behind him. He’s eager to defy the doubters while wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform. The veteran ace agreed to a $93 million, three-year contract Friday after initially opting out of his previous deal and choosing free agency. “There’s been a lot of people saying that I’m in decline or not going to be as good as I once was,” the 30-year-old left-hander said. “I’m looking forward to proving a lot of people wrong with that.” Kershaw opted out of a $215 million, seven-year contract that had two seasons remaining at a total of $65 million. Signed in January 2014, it called for salaries of $32 million next year and $33 million in 2020. The new deal involves a $23 million signing bonus, payable in equal installments on June 30 each of the next three years, and annual salaries of $23,333,333, and he gets an additional $28 million in guaranteed money. The new agreement includes $4 million annually in performance bonuses, via four $1 million increments for 24, 26, 28 and 30 games started, which could raise the deal’s value to $105 million over three years. The threetime Cy Young Award winner also can earn bonuses of $1.5 million for winning that award again or $500,000 for finishing second or third in the voting. Kershaw was limited to 26 starts this year because of a back injury and went 9-5 with a 2.73 ERA while striking out 155 batters. The Dodgers lost in the World Series for the second straight season, with Kershaw taking the loss in Sunday’s season-ending Game 5 defeat to the Boston Red Sox. His average fastball velocity dropped by 2 mph in the past year to 91 mph.
FOOTBALL
› FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons cornerback Robert Alford and kicker Matt Bryant missed practice for the third straight day Friday and have been ruled out for Sunday’s game at Washington. Coach Dan Quinn said rookie Isaiah Oliver, a second-round draft pick out of Colorado, will take Alford’s spot. It will be his second NFL start. Alford, a starter in 67 of 79 games in his NFL career, is out with an ankle injury and will miss a game for the first time since 2015. He was hurt in a win over the New York Giants on Oct. 22 but did not leave the game as a result. Giorgio Tavecchio will take Bryant’s place for the second straight game. With Bryant hobbled by a sore hamstring since kicking a 57-yard field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 14, Tavecchio kicked three field goals against the Giants, sealing the outcome with a 56-yarder in the closing minutes. The 43-year-old Bryant is the franchise’s scoring leader. Before this season, he had not missed a game since 2009. The Falcons (3-4) hope receiver Mohammed Sanu will be active against the Redskins (5-2). He has been limited in practice two days this week and did not participate Thursday because of a hip injury.