There are a number of different reasons why Clayton Kershaw should be pitching for the Dodgers as soon as possible, and there is one reason why the Dodgers do not need him yet: he is their best chance. They need him to win two games per series for them, and they need to have other teams concerned about him. Game planning for the best pitcher in baseball is nearly impossible because you spend most of your time praying he will not pitch any hitter. I want them to wait on Clayton, and this is why.
He is historically good
We are talking about the Sandy Koufax level of historic.
He is not Sandy Koufax, but he is as close as you can get. Sending Clayton to the mound gives the Dodgers a better chance of winning, and they produce so many runs that he could have a bad outing and still win. Putting your best pitcher on the mound for a start this far from the end of the season increases the chances of losing him in the playoffs.
The Dodgers cannot lose
This team will win well over 100 games, and they will go into the playoffs the prohibitive favorite. The betting lines will be so bad that it will be a waste of money to even think of betting on them. You will win a tiny amount of money in return, and they will be pushed hard by every network as they hope for a World Series title.
The simple fact is that the Dodgers are in a no-win position. They are too good to lose, or they will become the 116-win Seattle Mariners. Did you forget about them? Worry not, we all did.
The Dodgers need him in the future
Kershaw is the lifetime starter that will remain on the Dodgers roster until he chooses to retire. I would never even think of trading him, and I imagine he will remain a Dodger for life.
He will stay will the team after he retires, and he could become part of the ownership group one day. He is that kind of player, and the Dodgers need to be careful with him. I believe that they must think of the future of a franchise that can sustain itself with a few superstars and lots of TV money.
The Dodgers need very little help
All those games that Kershaw does not start will be easy wins for this team considering that they are losing about a game a month at this point. We can imagine a team that was this good in the past, and we will think of the 98 Yankees. That team was so good we assumed they would win the World Series, and we were right. The simple reality is that the Dodgers cannot go for it when they have all the tools they need to win a World Series even if Clayton is barely effective.
