That may not have been the truly long-term contract some of the faithful were hoping for, but the Dodgers did avoid arbitration with Clayton Kershaw this year and the next by signing him Tuesday to a two-year, $19-million contract.
The Times' Dylan Hernandez reports Kershaw will earn a $500,000 signing bonus, $7.5 million this season and $11 million in 2013.
The club had previously exchanged arbitration figures with National League's Cy Young winner, submitting $6.5 million to Kershaw's $10-million bid.
His contract is in keeping with the Dodgers signing players at a comparatively low salary for next season, then raising it significantly the next. Matt Kemp, who signed an eight-year, $160-millioncontract in November, will earn just $10 million next season, $2 million of it deferred.
More: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dodgers/2012/02/dodgers-sign-clayton-kershaw.html