Kershaw gets $93 million deal to stay with Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw is staying with the Los Angeles Dodgers, agreeing to a $93 million, three-year contract after he initially opted out and chose free agency.
The agreement was reached Friday, when Kershaw, 30, opted out of his previous deal, a $215 million, sevenyear contract that had two seasons remaining at a total of $65 million.
The left-hander gets an additional $28 million in guaranteed money. The new agreement includes $4 million annually in performance bonuses based on starts. He also can earn award bonuses.
Winner of the NL Cy Young Award in 2011, ‘13 and ‘14, the seven-time All-Star 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. The Dodgers lost in the World Series for the second straight season.
Kershaw signed his $215 million deal in January 2014, and it called for salaries of $32 million next year and $33 million in 2020. The new deal calls for $31 million annual salaries.
Kershaw has a career 153-69 regular-season record with a 2.39 ERA in 318 games.
CUBS TO PAY HAMELS >> The Chicago Cubs exercised their $20 million option on Cole Hamels, solidifying their rotation for next year, and traded fellow lefthander Drew Smyly to the Texas Rangers. Hamels, who turns 35 in December, went 4-3 with a 2.36 ERA in 12 starts after he was acquired in a July 27 trade with Texas. Had the Cubs declined the option and paid a $6 million buyout, the Rangers would have paid the Cubs an additional $6 million.
Horse racing
BREEDERS’ CUP >> King of Speed, trained by De La Salle High senior John Del Secco, finished 12th in the Juvenile Turf race at Churchill Downs in the first day of racing at the Breeders’ Cup. Line of Duty (win), Uncle Benny (place) and Some like it hot brown( show) were the top three horses in the race for 2-year-old colts.
NFL
JACKSON STATES HIS CASE >> Fired this week by the Browns after winning just three of 40 games in two plus-seasons, Hue Jackson disputed owner Jimmy Haslam’s assertion there was “internal discord” on the coaching staff that made his dismissal along with offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s necessary.
On Monday, Haslam, who has fired four coaches in six years, intimated that in-fighting between Jackson and Haley were at the root of his decision to make a change.
Jackson disagreed with his former boss and said on ESPN he wanted to “set the record straight.”
“I don’t really think it was truly just about internal discord,” said Jackson, who went 1-15, 0-15 and 2-5-1 with Cleveland. “I think that’s a strong word. I think you have disagreements with coaches. I think when you look at it, the organization made a decision to go in a different direction.”
Gymnastics
BILES PICKS UP 13TH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD >> The records just keep on coming for Simone Biles. The Olympic champion added gold on vault and silver on uneven bars during the first day of event finals at the world gymnastics championships in Doha, Qatar. The gold medal is her third of the meet and the 13th of her career, the most ever by any gymnast at worlds.
GOLF
UIHLEIN SHOOTS 66, LEADS IN LAS VEGAS >> Peter Uihlein birdied five of the last seven holes for a 5-under 66 and a two-stroke lead in the Shriners Hospitals For Children Open. Uihlein got to 13-under 129 at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, a day after opening with a 63. Robert Streb and Whee Kim were tied for second.
Jordan Spieth had two late birdies in a 68 to get to 8 under in his season debut.
DEFENDING CHAMP ROSE LEADS BY 2 IN TURKEY >> Defending champion Justin Rose has a two-shot lead halfway through the Turkish Airlines Open after consecutive 6-under-par 65s at Regnum Carya Golf Resort in Antalya, Turkey.
Tom Lewis, posted the low score so far of 63 to share second with Danny Willett (65) and 2016 champion Thorbjorn Olesen (67). SO YEON RYU SHOOTS 65 IN TOTO JAPAN CLASSIC >> So Yeon Ryu shot a 7-under 65 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the Toto Japan Classic in Shiga. Nasa Hataoka and Jiyai Shin and In-Kyung Kim were a stroke back after rounds of 66.
Motors
BLANEY WINS POLE IN TEXAS >> Ryan Blaney earned the pole at Texas after going 200.505 mph during NASCAR Cup qualifying for Sunday’s race. Clint Bowyer was the highest of the playoff contenders, also exceeding 200 mph. His lap of 200.230 mph put him on the front row with Blaney.