LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw agreed Wednesday to a $215 million, seven-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, a deal that makes the two-time Cy Young Award winner baseballs first player with a $30 million average salary. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not yet been announced. Kershaw receives the most lucrative deal for a pitcher, breaking the mark of $180 million set by Justin Verlander last March for his seven-year contract with Detroit. Kershaw would have been eligible for free agency after the upcoming season if the new deal hadnt been reached. He was eligible for salary arbitration, and those figures were set to be exchanged on Friday. He was coming off a two-year, $20 million deal that included $200,000 in bonuses in 2012, a $500,000 escalator to his 2013 base salary, and $300,000 in bonuses last year. General manager Ned Colletti said last week that both sides had been negotiating. "Its our desire to sign him here for a very long time," Colletti said. The average salary of $30.7 million tops the previous high of $27.5 million, set by the New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez as part of a 10-year agreement from December 2007. While Roger Clemens had a contract with a listed salary of $28 million with the Yankees in 2007, he joined the team in June and actually made $17.4 million. The Dodgers had baseballs second-highest payroll at the end of the regular season last fall -- more than $236 million. Kershaws agreement, first reported by ESPN.com, is baseballs seventh of $200 million or more. Among current contracts, it trails only the agreements of Rodriguez, Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto ($251.5 million over 12 years), Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols ($240 million over 10 years) and Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano ($240 million over 10 years). A left-hander who turns 26 in March, Kershaw won NL Cy Young Awards in 2011 and 2013. He was 16-9 for the NL West champion Dodgers last year and led the league with 232 strikeouts, and his 1.83 ERA was the best in the major leagues since Pedro Martinezs 1.74 for Boston in 2000. He has led the NL in ERA in each of the last three years. Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis tweeted: "Big winner today......me. I am blessed to catch best in the game for foreseeable future God willing. Congrats Kersh!" Teammate Matt Kemp chimed in, tweeting, "Congrats 2 the best pitcher in baseball and great teammate (at)ClaytonKersh22 on his deal!" Kershaw has been a powerful, yet low-key, presence on the team. In the off-season, the Dallas native has worked to build a charitable legacy alongside his wife, Ellen. The couple has made yearly trips to Africa, where his foundation that focuses on helping at-risk children built an orphanage. The deal signifies further stability for a club that was in turmoil under former owner Frank McCourt, who sold the team to a group that includes Magic Johnson in 2012. The Dodgers signed manager Don Mattingly to a three-year deal last week and now have locked up their ace. Last year, Kershaw pitched a career-high 259 innings between the regular season and the playoffs. The season ended on a sour note when he pitched a rare clunker in the Dodgers 9-0 loss to St. Louis in the NL championship series that eliminated them. Still up for discussion this winter is a new deal for Hanley Ramirez, who hit a team-leading .345 and played hurt during the NLCS. He has one year left on his contract. Soccer Jerseys Outlet . Listen to the Raptors vs. Jazz live tonight on TSN Radio 1050 at 9pm et/6pm pt. The Raptors are 1-1 so far on the five-game junket after defeating Denver and losing to Portland. Clearance Soccer Jerseys .com) - The Calgary Flames are spoilers once again. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/. Warren made six birdies and a bogey for a 5-under total of 139 to sit one shot ahead of Felipe Aguilar of Chile, who carded a 69. David Horsey of England was also on 5 under through 15 holes to join Warren atop the leaderboard before play was stopped. Replica Soccer Jerseys . -- The Kelowna Rockets earned their 16th straight win with a 7-2 rout of the Portland Winterhawks in Western Hockey League action Thursday. Fake Soccer Jerseys . Vettel only needs to finish fifth or better Sunday to wrap up the championship with three races remaining, and bettered his own lap record to claim his third straight pole at Buddh International Circuit. SAN JOSE, Calif. -- When Tommy Wingels scored a fluky, short-handed goal in the opening minutes, it was clear this was going to be San Joses night. Wingels scored two goals and Antti Niemi shut Montreal out for the second time this season in the Sharks 4-0 victory over the Canadiens on Saturday night. Wingels opened the scoring with a short-handed goal after Peter Budaj misplayed a shot from centre ice and added another on a deflection to lead the way for the Sharks. "That was a fortunate bounce for us," Wingels said of his first goal. "Well take it. It kind of gave us some momentum in the first there." Matt Nieto also scored and Logan Couture had a goal and two assists for the Sharks, who have won seven straight home games against Montreal since last losing here to the Canadiens in 1999. Niemi made 27 saves to follow up his 2-0 victory in Montreal in October with another shutout as San Jose moved within four points of first-place Anaheim in the Pacific Division. "We want to win our division," Couture said. "That was one of our goals from the start of the year and were close." Budaj was knocked out after allowing two goals in less than 22 minutes as Montreal lost for the third time in four games on a road trip to Arizona and California. "It was a frustrating game and a frustrating road trip," captain Brian Gionta said. "We wanted something better out of it." San Jose took control of the game in a dominant second period, getting goals from Wingels and Nieto in the first half of the period to go up 3-0. Wingels second goal of the game came when a point shot from Matt Nieto hit the inside of his leg on the way into the goal. That led coach Michel Therrien to give an early hook to Budaj, who allowed two goals on the first 11 shots. The change to Dustin Tokarski failed to generate the spark Therrien was seeking as the Sharks continued to attack with the two-goal lead and expanded it when Patrick Marleau set up Nieto for a one-timer from the slot midway through the period. Nieto set up Couture for his 18th goal in the opening minute of the third period to put the game out of reaach.dddddddddddd Niemi, making consecutive starts for the first time since Feb. 1-3, was not tested often but was up to the task when challenged, including an early pad save on P.K. Subban and on a short-handed breakaway by Tomas Plekanec late in the third. Niemi has struggled a bit of late and had his playing time cut back as San Jose started backup Alex Stalock in three of the first four games after the Olympic break. But he followed up a 5-3 win over Pittsburgh on Thursday night with another shutout against the Canadiens. "Nemo had to make some saves early, and then he had to make a couple late to maintain the shutout," coach Todd McLellan said. "I thought he was very calm, very solid again." The Sharks got a fortunate break to take a 1-0 lead early in the first period with James Sheppard in the penalty box for tripping. Couture shot the puck in from centre ice that got caught between Budajs pads. Instead of freezing the puck for a faceoff, Budaj stood up and tried to play it but Wingels raced in and poked it into the net for San Joses second short-handed goal in as many games. "We were on the power play and I wanted to play it right away to help and not have a faceoff in our own end," Budaj said. "I didnt have a look to see the player was coming. Thats my mistake." The Sharks werent nearly as effective on their three power plays that included 21 seconds of a two-man advantage. They struggled to get set up in the offensive zone and were sloppy with their passes, generating only one shot on goal in those three opportunities. The power play has been a problem for San Jose in recent weeks with the team going 2-for-48 over the past 15 games. NOTES: Sharks F Raffi Torres got called for boarding on a hard shoulder check into Lars Eller in the second period. Jarred Tinordi took exception and started a fight, negating any power play for the Canadiens. ... Montreal D Douglas Murray got a warm ovation in his first game back in San Jose since being traded by the Sharks to Pittsburgh last March. He delivered an early hit on Nieto and also was on the receiving end of one from Brent Burns. ' ' '