Clayton Kershaw getting dem checks

The Dodgers made history today signing two time Cy Young winner, Clayton Kershaw to a 7 year deal worth 215 million. Kershaw, 25, scarily might still have his best years ahead of him. To put in perspective how much baseball salaries have inflated, 16 years ago the Montreal Expos traded Pedro Martinez (26 years old and reigning Cy Young winner at the time) to the Red Sox for Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr. The Red Sox turned around and signed him to a 6 year/ 75 million dollar deal with an option for 17 million in the seventh year. Averaging a cool 13.14 million per year.

With my advanced math,  Pedro averaged 1.27 wins/million paid while with the Red Sox. Obviously, stats have evolved with quality starts and different metrics.

1998	26	BOS	AL	19	7	.731	2.89	33	33	0	3	2	0	233.2	188	82	75	26	67	3	251	8	0	9	951	163	1.091	7.2	1.0	2.6	9.7	3.75	AS,CYA-2,MVP-21
1999	27	BOS	AL	23	4	.852	2.07	31	29	1	5	1	0	213.1	160	56	49	9	37	1	313	9	0	6	835	243	0.923	6.8	0.4	1.6	13.2	8.46	AS,CYA-1,MVP-2
2000	28	BOS	AL	18	6	.750	1.74	29	29	0	7	4	0	217.0	128	44	42	17	32	0	284	14	0	1	817	291	0.737	5.3	0.7	1.3	11.8	8.88	AS,CYA-1,MVP-5
2001	29	BOS	AL	7	3	.700	2.39	18	18	0	1	0	0	116.2	84	33	31	5	25	0	163	6	0	4	456	188	0.934	6.5	0.4	1.9	12.6	6.52
2002	30	BOS	AL	20	4	.833	2.26	30	30	0	2	0	0	199.1	144	62	50	13	40	1	239	15	0	3	787	202	0.923	6.5	0.6	1.8	10.8	5.98	AS,CYA-2,MVP-20
2003	31	BOS	AL	14	4	.778	2.22	29	29	0	3	0	0	186.2	147	52	46	7	47	0	206	9	0	5	749	211	1.039	7.1	0.3	2.3	9.9	4.38	CYA-3,MVP-22
2004	32	BOS	AL	16	9	.640	3.90	33	33	0	1	1	0	217.0	193	99	94	26	61	0	227	16	0	2	903	124	1.171	8.0	1.1	2.5	9.4	3.72	CYA-4

People may wonder why the Dodgers game him so much money, but lets look at his first 5 seasons compared to another lefty Dodger great first 5 full seasons.

1958	22	LAD	NL	11	11	.500	4.48	40	26	7	5	0	1	158.2	132	89	79	19	105	6	131	1	0	17	714	93	1.494	7.5	1.1	6.0	7.4	1.25
1959	23	LAD	NL	8	6	.571	4.05	35	23	6	6	1	2	153.1	136	74	69	23	92	4	173	0	1	5	679	105	1.487	8.0	1.4	5.4	10.2	1.88
1960	24	LAD	NL	8	13	.381	3.91	37	26	7	7	2	1	175.0	133	83	76	20	100	6	197	1	0	9	753	101	1.331	6.8	1.0	5.1	10.1	1.97
1961	25	LAD	NL	18	13	.581	3.52	42	35	2	15	2	1	255.2	212	117	100	27	96	6	269	3	2	12	1068	122	1.205	7.5	1.0	3.4	9.5	2.80	AS,MVP-18
1962	26	LAD	NL	14	7	.667	2.54	28	26	2	11	2	1	184.1	134	61	52	13	57	4	216	2	0	3	744	143	1.036	6.5	0.6	2.8	10.5	3.79	AS,MVP-24

2009	21	LAD	NL	8	8	.500	2.79	31	30	1	0	0	0	171.0	119	55	53	7	91	4	185	1	2	11	701	143	1.228	6.3	0.4	4.8	9.7	2.03
2010	22	LAD	NL	13	10	.565	2.91	32	32	0	1	1	0	204.1	160	73	66	13	81	9	212	7	2	5	848	133	1.179	7.0	0.6	3.6	9.3	2.62
2011	23	LAD	NL	21	5	.808	2.28	33	33	0	5	2	0	233.1	174	66	59	15	54	2	248	3	1	5	912	161	0.977	6.7	0.6	2.1	9.6	4.59	AS,CYA-1,MVP-12,GG
2012	24	LAD	NL	14	9	.609	2.53	33	33	0	2	2	0	227.2	170	70	64	16	63	5	229	5	2	6	901	150	1.023	6.7	0.6	2.5	9.1	3.63	AS,CYA-2,MVP-16
2013	25	LAD	NL	16	9	.640	1.83	33	33	0	3	2	0	236.0	164	55	48	11	52	2	232	3	2	12	908	194	0.915	6.3	0.4	2.0	8.8	4.46	AS,CYA-1,MVP-7

Kershaw's numbers are better than Koufax's numbers in nearly all categories. Let us theoretically say Kershaw averages 18 wins each season. 18 * 7 = 126 wins. Any team would take that from a pitcher entering his prime with a frame more comparable to Clemens than Pedro. That would average 0.59 wins/million.

As fans we get caught up in the amount of money, but you never seem owner's complaining about these deals. You cannot smack the smile off Magic Johnson. He knows that Clayton will make all that money back for him and more. In 2014, it is amazing we do not have metrics to see how much money Kershaw will generate for the Dodgers during this contract.

Kershaw has the potential to be the best pitcher of the last 100 years (time will tell). The Yankees of the West are moving the empire to sunny California while the original empire is debating whether or not to eat the 61 million dollars they owe A-Rod.