Baseball fans will have to wait a little longer to learn of Clayton Kershaw’s free agent status. The Los Angeles Dodgers announced they’ve agreed to extend the deadline for Kershaw’s opt-out decision until Friday afternoon, giving their ace an extra 40 hours to weigh his options.

It could be a near $70 million decision for Kershaw. If he decides to opt in and finish his current contract agreement, the Dodgers will owe him $34.5 million in 2019 and $35 million in 2020. If he opts out, he’ll immediately become a free agent.

There’s been plenty of speculation though that Kershaw and the Dodgers could work out a contract extension that guarantees Kershaw a lower average salary, but gives him the security of a few extra seasons. That the deadline is being pushed back seemingly lends credence to that theory. If the two sides are locked in negotiations, the extra time could allow them to hammer out a deal and avoid the drama.

Speculation is the best we can offer at this point. By Friday, we should definitely have a better perspective of where Kershaw’s career and the Dodgers offseason is going.

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