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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw’s 7-year deal breaks MLB barrier

Pitcher Clayton Kershaw agreed Wednesday to a $215 million, seven-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a person familiar with the negotiations said, a deal that makes the two-time Cy Young Award winner baseball’s first player with a $30 million average salary. Kershaw receives the most lucrative deal for a pitcher, breaking the mark of $180 million set by Justin Verlander last March for his seven-year contract with Detroit. Kershaw would have been eligible for free agency after the upcoming season if the new deal hadn’t been reached. He was eligible for salary arbitration. He was coming off a two-year, $20 million deal that included $200,000 in bonuses in 2012, a $500,000 escalator to his 2013 base salary, and $300,000 in bonuses last year. – AP