LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw approached the podium on a blue, circular stage set up in center field at Dodger Stadium on Friday, after the downtown parade he’d always wanted, with his teammates bowing from behind, and the emotions hit him.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Kershaw, his voice cracking, told a crowd of 42,448 people who showed up to celebrate the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ World Series title. “I didn’t have anything to do with this championship, but it feels like I have the best feeling in the world — that I get to celebrate with you guys!”

When the Dodgers last won it all, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented them from enjoying most of the pageantry presented to Major League Baseball’s champion, most notably a parade. Kershaw, who had spent his prolonged career chasing a title, never got to fully enjoy a moment that admittedly lifted a massive burden off his shoulders. When the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night, it gave the franchise its first full-season championship since 1988 and provided its players with an opportunity to fully celebrate.

It probably meant most to Kershaw, even if a foot injury prevented him from helping.

“I think in 2020 there was like a sense of relief almost,” Kershaw said. “And this one — especially because my role is pretty limited, just to be able to sit back and enjoy it, you know? I think there’s just a lot more happiness, honestly. Just so happy to be able to celebrate finally. That parade was for this season, and I feel that this season was unique in its own, and we’re gonna celebrate accordingly. But 2020, too — it’s a long time coming. We had a long time coming for this parade. So to be able to finally do it — I think the build-up made it even sweeter, honestly.”

Seven double-decker buses consisting of players, family members and coaches took a two-mile route from Gloria Molina Grand Park near City Hall, down 1st Street and through Grand Avenue before making their way to Dodger Stadium at around 12:30 p.m. PT. Ice Cube, who famously kicked off Game 2 of the World Series last week, greeted them with a rendition of his iconic song “It Was A Good Day.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts danced alongside him, then went about introducing some of his key players.

Walker Buehler, who recorded the final out, wore Orel Hershiser’s grey road jersey from the 1988 World Series and yelled expletives into the microphone. Kiké Hernández, in many ways the team’s spiritual leader, stirred the crowd by prompting them to yell “we don’t give a f—,” a reference to his line during an on-field, postgame interview after a pennant-clinching victory. Shohei Ohtani navigated the parade with his dog, Decoy, in tow, then spoke English from the stage.

“This is so special for me,” Ohtani told the crowd. “I’m so honored to be here and to be part of this team. Congratulations, Los Angeles. Thank you, fans!”

Some of the biggest cheers went to Freddie Freeman, who willed his way through a litany of injuries in October and ultimately won World Series MVP. Roberts introduced Freeman as someone who “played with one leg and one rib,” a reference to his sprained right ankle and, as ESPN reported Thursday, the broken costal cartilage he sustained the night before the National League Division Series.

Roberts said the team “got out of the woods” with Freeman’s rib issue in the time off between the end of the NL Championship Series and the start of the World Series, helping Freeman launch a Kirk Gibson-style walk-off grand slam in Game 1.

“But he wasn’t nearly close to 100 percent,” Roberts added.

Neither was Kershaw, of course.

The 36-year-old left-hander underwent shoulder surgery last offseason and didn’t make his 2024 debut until late July. Then, in his seventh start, he aggravated a long-standing toe injury. Attempts to return for the postseason only led to other ailments, forcing him out for the stretch run of the season.

On Wednesday, Kershaw said, he’ll undergo surgery to fix his left foot — consisting of a bone spur and a ruptured plantar plate, among other issues — and another procedure to address a meniscus issue in his left knee.

At some point over these next few days, Kershaw will either exercise his player option for 2025 or sign a new contract to return for his 18th season with the Dodgers.

For 17 years, Kershaw established himself as one of the most monumental figures in the franchise’s illustrious history. He won three Cy Young Awards and an MVP, made 10 All-Star teams, became the all-time leader in strikeouts and accumulated the second-most wins. But he was continually part of star-studded Dodger teams that came up short in the playoffs and, fairly or not, shouldered the blame for much of it.

The 2020 championship brought him vindication.

The 2024 championship allowed him to properly celebrate.

“I knew it was gonna be a special day, all the stuff, but it was a little bit more emotional than I expected,” Kershaw said. “It’s a day that I’ll definitely never forget. You know, baseball is just a game. Everybody says that. But I don’t know, man. You look around and you see how much it means to so many different people. It might be baseball, but it means a lot to a lot of different people. I’m no different.”

NEW YORK — Luke Weaver‘s 2025 option was exercised by the New York Yankees on Friday for $2.5 million.

Weaver took over from Clay Holmes as Yankees closer in September and finished 7-3 with a 2.89 ERA and four saves, striking out 103 and walking 26 in 84 innings.

The 31-year-old right-hander was 1-0 with a 1.76 ERA and four saves in the postseason as the Yankees won their first American League pennant since 2009 and lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

He was claimed off waivers by the Yankees from Seattle in September 2023, became a free agent and re-signed with New York in January for a $2 million deal that wound up earning him another $250,000 in performance bonuses.

SAN FRANCISCO — Left-hander Blake Snell has exercised his right to opt out of his contract with the San Francisco Giants to become a free agent for the second straight offseason.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner agreed in March to a $62 million, two-year contract that included a $17 million signing bonus payable on Jan. 15, 2026, a $15 million salary for 2024 and a $30 million salary for 2025, of which $15 million would have been deferred and payable on July 1, 2027.

Snell, 31, was 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts, throwing a no-hitter at Cincinnati on Aug. 2 for one of only 16 individual shutouts in the major leagues this season. He struck out 145 and walked 44 in 104 innings.

He was sidelined between April 19 and May 22 by a strained left adductor and between June 2 and July 9 by a strained left groin.

Snell won Cy Young Awards in 2018 with Tampa Bay and 2023 with San Diego. He is 76-58 with a 3.19 ERA in nine seasons with the Rays (2016-20), Padres (2021-23) and Giants.

Because Snell turned down a qualifying offer from San Diego last November, San Francisco is not eligible to make him a qualifying offer this offseason and won’t receive draft-pick compensation if he signs with another team.