Clayton Kershaw remains uncertain about Dodgers return: "The competitor in me doesn’t want it to end the way it did"

It is undeniable that Clayton Kershaw is one of the greatest pitchers of his generation. The 35-year-old has accomplished nearly everything that a player can in the MLB, yet there is still a burning desire inside him to continue to strive for excellence.

Although Clayton Kershaw will find himself inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame when he is first eligible, he is not ready yet to call it a career. The veteran starting pitcher finds himself on the free agent market and is currently unsure where he will play.

"Is Clayton Kershaw returning to the Dodgers or not? And did he throw shade at Shohei Ohtani’s free agency process?" - @DodgersWayFS

Kershaw remained an elite pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, however, his final outing of the year is not one he wants as his final moment in Los Angeles. "The competitor in me doesn’t want it to end the way it did," Kershaw explained in a radio interview with AM 570 L.A. Sports.

"Damn the DBacks are lighting up Clayton Kershaw. Way early but could see a Phillies vs DBacks NLCS" - @Anthooo815

The Dallas, Texas native said that he is looking forward to returning to baseball and erasing his disastrous NLCS Game 1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In what turned out to be his final appearance of the year, Kershaw surrendered six runs while recording only a single out.

Clayton Kershaw has two likely landing spots this offseason

Two teams have been linked to Kershaw in free agency, which are the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Texas Rangers. Although Kershaw has spent his entire career with the Dodgers, a move closer to his hometown could tempt the future Hall of Famer as he nears the end of his career.

"I am low key praying that the Dodgers bring back Kershaw on a far 1 year deal. Good chance to supplement pitching with Ohtani, pays respect to an illustrious career and give him an opportunity to cap a HoF career." - @jryanxc96

Although Kershaw is expected to be unable to pitch in the MLB until some point this upcoming summer, it remains clear that he intends to return to action. A return to the Dodgers would make sense for both parties. For Kershaw, he could erase his disastrous NLCS outing, while the Dodgers will bring back a proven winner to bolster their pitching rotation.