LA willing to pay half of Ethier's salary in trade
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Dodgers have offered to pay down “about half” the $56 million remaining over three years on Andre Ethier‘s contract in efforts to trade him, sources familiar with the talks say.
Ethier appears to be the likely odd man out in a slightly less crowded Dodgers outfield situation, with coveted rookie Joc Pederson most likely to join Carl Crawford and Yasiel Puig as starters, and Ethier already this spring has expressed interest in being traded if he isn’t starting.
Well, as luck would have it, the team has been trying all winter.
Their offer to pay down the contract to the point where Ethier is making only about $10 million a year, or perhaps a bit less than that, may seem more than reasonable. But it apparently hasn’t enticed teams to the point of a trade.
The Braves paid Nick Markakis $45 million over four years, and while Markakis might seem like a comparable player (and one who’s coming off neck surgery), Ethier didn’t have his usual year in 2014, as playing time issues caught up with him. Ethier had just four home runs and 42 RBI to go with a .249 batting average.
The Orioles would seem to be a logical spot for Ethier with Nelson Cruz and Markakis both leaving via free agency, but it isn’t known how strong potential O’s interest may be. The Blue Jays would appear to have outfield questions but they are not involved with Ethier as they believe Michael Saunders could be back in a few weeks.
The Dodgers had an overcrowding issue in the outfield all last year, and they alleviated some of it by dealing Matt Kemp to the rival Padres. While the Dodgers agreed to pay down $32 million of the $107 million remaining on Kemp’s deal, they also acquired a few players for Kemp, including Yasmani Grandal, who’s expected to handle the bulk of the catching in LA. this year. But while Kemp had a big second half, Ethier’s role diminished.
Etheir suggested upon arriving in spring he hopes to have a legitimate shot to win a spot in the Dodgers outfield, but barring injury, that would seem like a long shot. The Dodgers seem to want to give Pederson, an extremely athletic youngster and the best center fielder in their stable, a chance. The one question about Pederson that remains is whether he can make enough contact; he struck out a lot in the minors.
Pederson is off to a quick start this spring. Pederson, operating as the DH, had hits his first two times up in the Dodgers’ spring opener vs. the White Sox. Not too much should be concluded based on one game, but Ethier looked awkward failing to corral a deep fly that bounced off his glove went for a double off the bat of new White Sox Adam LaRoche, and he struck out in both his at-bats.
Ethier is heading into the third year of his $85-million, five-year contract.
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