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Dodgers Decline Andre Ethier’s Option

By Connor Byrne | November 5, 2017 at 4:42pm CDT

The Dodgers have declined outfielder Andre Ethier’s $17.5MM club option for 2018 in favor of a $2.5MM buyout, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports (on Twitter).

Moving on from Ethier at that lofty price tag was an easy decision for the Dodgers, who saw the 35-year-old deal with significant injury issues over the past two seasons and combine for a mere 64 plate appearances. In 2017, back problems kept Ethier out until September and prevented him from contributing to the Dodgers’ fifth straight NL West-winning effort, but he was able to partake in his eighth postseason with the club. Ethier totaled 15 playoff plate appearances this season, including six in the Dodgers’ World Series loss to the Astros. In what is likely to go down as his final at-bat with the franchise, Ethier picked up a pinch-hit RBI single in LA’s 5-1 loss in Game 7 of the Fall Classic.

Prior to the past two seasons, Ethier was a consistent offensive presence for the Dodgers. The 2003 second-round pick debuted in 2006 and proceeded to slash an impressive .286/.359/.464 with 159 home runs through the 2015 campaign. The success Ethier had early in his career led the Dodgers to sign him to his most recent deal, a five-year, $85MM extension, in June 2012.

With his Dodgers tenure in the rearview, the lefty-swinging Ethier will head to the open market, though his age, recent health troubles and longstanding woes against same-handed pitchers will work against him in free agency. Still, Ethier was a terrific offensive player as recently as 2015, slashing .294/.366/.486 in 445 PAs, and could garner interest from teams looking for a designated hitter.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Transactions Andre Ethier

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View Comments (51)

Comments

  1. Dodgers 2017t ws champions

    5 years ago

    Knew it was coming he will always be me. Clutch

    Reply
    • liamsfg

      5 years ago

      Im sorry about your screen name..

      Reply
      • chrisones

        5 years ago

        Lol

        Reply
      • JosephCC87

        5 years ago

        Lol

        Reply
    • dodgers_are_a_bunch_of_pansies

      5 years ago

      The dodgers are a bunch of stupid pansies!

      Reply
  2. Cuso

    5 years ago

    Chalk this up in the “Duh,” column.

    Reply
  3. theroyal19

    5 years ago

    Not a surprise. Always liked watching him, but injuries keep taking him out. I’m not sure where he could end up. Teams are going younger/cheaper and i dont see an AL team really needing a DH with his current capabilities outside of Tampa maybe

    Reply
    • Joe Kerr

      5 years ago

      White Sox could use a DH and veteran presence to help all the kids.

      Reply
      • CaliWhiteSoxFan

        5 years ago

        I was thinking the same thing. Plus, he’s a left handed hitter which the Sox need.

        Reply
        • Del Boca Vista

          5 years ago

          Better options to try in left handed department may be Bruce, Santana, Moreland, Duda, Gonzalez.

        • chadkaboom

          5 years ago

          don’t think Bruce or santana will want to spend time on a losing club for the next few years

        • Del Boca Vista

          5 years ago

          Good point, only saying I think Sox would go for them first because they’re better options and have some money to spend.

        • IronBallsMcGinty

          5 years ago

          I also thought the same thing. They’ll be looking for someone like him, Ichiro, or maybe even Granderson on a relatively cheap one year deal and hope to flip them mid season.

        • Gideon Hays

          5 years ago

          Nobody wants to play for the white sox. Hopefully good players that go there don’t get sucked into their vortex of mediocrity because anybody having a good season will certainly be traded to a contender at the deadline. It’s a good way out of there. If he took a one year low money contract with the White Sox and had a good year, he could see himself on a playoff team by the year’s end. The gamble is on whether or not Ethier is capable of a good year.

      • Rounding3rd

        5 years ago

        Bring Ethier back to the A’s for Milton Bradley!

        Reply
  4. davbee

    5 years ago

    In other news, the sky is blue.

    Reply
    • BlueSkyLA

      5 years ago

      And you have proof?

      Reply
      • rememberthecoop

        5 years ago

        That’s funny coming from Mr Blue Sky himself.

        Reply
        • BlueSkyLA

          5 years ago

          Well at least somebody got it, maybe.

        • Rounding3rd

          5 years ago

          I’m waiting for a retort from RedDawnRobert….

        • dodgerblue7

          5 years ago

          Lol

  5. dmazcomp

    5 years ago

    Possible bounce back candidate. Tigers could use a bargain LH OF, though I am not sure how much he’d be useful out there.

    Reply
    • stymeedone

      5 years ago

      Yes, but not an injury prone one, please!

      Reply
    • Hudsoto

      5 years ago

      Then why do you even make a stupid comment like that if you don’t believe after you said it that he may not be useful? Talk about a circular statement

      Reply
      • frankiegxiii

        5 years ago

        Huh?

        Reply
  6. Lefty_Orioles_Fan

    5 years ago

    Well now that Andre is on the scrap heap will DD and the Orioles finally add him to the team?

    Reply
    • jbigz12

      5 years ago

      Hope not. We have plenty of DH candidates as it is. Don’t need another Dh playing an outfield spot.

      Reply
  7. mcdusty31

    5 years ago

    Hopefully he ends up on the bench or in the front office somewhere, Dodger for life

    Reply
    • Gret1wg

      5 years ago

      Yeah, another front office clown

      Reply
      • amjr

        5 years ago

        Reply
        • amjr

          5 years ago

          Lol

      • mcdusty31

        5 years ago

        Great point, can you please reveal what sources you’re pulling this information from? Oh wait I know exactly where you pulled this out from…damn troll

        Reply
  8. em650r

    5 years ago

    If only the NL would adopt the DH rule a lot more of these aging players would have a chance

    Reply
    • amjr

      5 years ago

      You still have to be healthy to DH

      Reply
    • themed

      5 years ago

      Hope they never do. I enjoy real baseball in the NL. It’s bad enough you now can’t take out the second baseman on double play balls or take out the catcher on a play at the plate. Please let there be any real baseball somewhere.

      Reply
      • liamsfg

        5 years ago

        You can still take them out, but you just can’t go out of your way to do so.

        Reply
        • BlueSkyLA

          5 years ago

          More or less. The baserunner isn’t allowed to deviate from running a path directly to the plate in order to initiate contact with the fielder covering home. This part of the rule doesn’t make a lot of sense given what the runner is normally trying to accomplish. The only realistic scenario where he might deviate is to break up a double play and we know how infrequently home plate is involved in a double play. The purpose of this part of the rule is to make it consistent with the contact rule for the other bases. A fielder covering home who doesn’t provide the baserunner with a clear path is likely going to be ruled as defensive interference.

    • Cam

      5 years ago

      I love Ethier, he’s been fantastic for the Dodgers. But we don’t need to be finding ways to reward people who can only play one side of the ball.

      Reply
  9. radiohead801

    5 years ago

    Perfect DH.

    Reply
  10. Bart

    5 years ago

    The Angels could platoon him with Pujols at DH.

    Reply
    • Rounding3rd

      5 years ago

      Or just bench Pujols. I love Albert but he’s only playing because of the money (and I don’t blame him). His feet are so painful it is painful to watch him “run.”

      Reply
  11. LongTimeFan1

    5 years ago

    Minor league deal with spring training invite and performance escalators to increase earnings. Would have to prove health and competency and perhaps be amenable to AAA to prove he’s healthy enough to add to major league roster.

    Under above context he would fit on a rebuilding team on one year deal. Build up his value to become mid season trade candidate to contender.

    Reply
    • jbigz12

      5 years ago

      Ethier will find a MLB deal. His base salary will probably be relatively low but he’s worth a Mlb deal. Dodgers kept him on their postseason roster. He’s a major league caliber hitter. Prime candidate for an incentive laden deal contract but he doesn’t have to go to AAA.

      Reply
  12. Ejemp2006

    5 years ago

    Wow, this is shaping up quite nicely for the Tigers. First, the Jays decline Bautista’s option. Second, the Marlins decline Ichiro’s option. Now, the Dodgers let Ethier go. The Tigers don’t have anyone to play in the outfield and here is a cast of old guys who would be entertaining to watch and cheap to pay. They could easily field the 2008 all star team.

    Reply
    • dwhitt3

      5 years ago

      Jose Bautista was an all star in 2008?

      Reply
  13. Astros_fan_84

    5 years ago

    I see the Astros making a play if he’s sitting there late.

    Reply
  14. SoCalBaseballDude

    5 years ago

    Andre would be an excellent Left-handed DH, 4th outfielder & pinch hitter for the Angels

    Reply
  15. Paul Heyman

    5 years ago

    I think Ichiro should go back to the AL. Not sure where though. I think Bautista will go to the white Sox. I think ethier either retires which is a long shot or he signs with some outfield needy AL team such as the tigers.

    Reply
  16. Strauss

    5 years ago

    That was a no brainier!

    Reply
  17. Solaris601

    5 years ago

    Ethier is still an excellent hitter, but due to those back issues (which never really go away once they’ve manifested), no team should look at him as much more than a DH or PH with limited spot duty in the OF. This will limit him to AL teams. Maybe DET, TEX, TB, or OAK are possibilities on a 1-year deal.

    Reply
  18. ray714

    5 years ago

    Was extremely happy to see this.. Ethier is garbage and washed up..he won’t be missed by real fans. Only girls who think he’s hot and guys who live in 2010-2011 regular season

    Reply

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