The Los Angeles Dodgers offered left-hander Clayton Kershaw essentially a lifetime contract in the range of $300 million -- "an A-Rod deal" -- earlier this season, according to a source with knowledge of its scope and structure.
The two sides were unable to finish negotiations, sources say, because Kershaw was initially uncertain about committing to a deal so encompassing, and about having contract talks during the season.
But the negotiations progressed enough that there is confidence among some with knowledge of the talks that a long-term deal -- perhaps more conservative in length than the massive contract initially proposed by the Dodgers -- will be concluded this winter, with a significant portion of money being devoted to a charity of Kershaw's choosing.
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/stor ... ource-says
I can't say we all didn't expect this, but it still triggers a "Holy crap, that's a lot of money" type reaction.
