The Dodgers avoided arbitration with Clayton Kershaw, signing him to a two-year contract:

The Los Angeles Dodgers have avoided arbitration with National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw by agreeing to a two-year, $19 million contract with the pitcher, the team said on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old, who became the youngest person to win Major League Baseball’s top pitching award in 26 years last November, earned $500,000 for the 2011 season and was in his first year of arbitration eligibility.

I find it interesting that the Dodgers did not buy out the rest of his arbitration years. I suspect they will leave that to the new owner. The Dodgers did a good job of keeping Kershaw in the minors long enough that they effectively received four seasons from him before he became eligible for arbitration.