The Dodgers are closing in on a five-year, $85MM extension with Andre Ethier according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The contract contains a sixth year vesting option (Twitter links).
Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times adds that the vesting option would likely push the deal to $100MM total. Hernandez goes on to say that the deal is expected to be finalized tomorrow. The proposed contract would pay Ethier $13.5MM in 2013, $15MM in 2014, $18MM in 2015-16, and $17.5MM in 2017. The option for 2018 would be for another $17.5MM with a $2.5MM buyout (All Twitter links).
We've heard about a possible Ethier extension several times over the past few months, and the right fielder has said recently that he wouldn't put a deadline on extension talks. The 30-year-old is making $10.95MM this season after avoiding arbitration with a one-year contract this past winter.
Ethier has spent his entire career in Dodger blue after he was traded to L.A. from Oakland in exchange for Milton Bradley. Ethier boasts a solid .291/.363/.482 slash line for his career, but has a less-than-stellar defensive reputation. Ultimate Zone Rating hasn't been kind to him, rating him as 6.2 runs below average per 150 games in more than 5,700 career innings. The other big question with Ethier lies in his durability; he's spent time on the disabled list in each of the past two seasons.
MLBTR's Dan Mennella examined the CAA Sports client's free agent stock in April, noting that he represented the best bet at landing a big contract among upcoming free agent right fielders.
This post was originally published on June 11 at 11:57pm CT.
5 years 85! nice anything more would likely be an overpay. Hopefully this signing works out better than the Carl Crawford, Jason Werth, Jason Bay, Carlos Lee, and Alfonso Soriano signings of the last 6 years.
Per the L.A. Times’ Dylan Hernandez, the deal will be announced tomorrow. Its not a bad deal for either side. For the Dodgers, the annual salary is fair and they have Ethier until his age 35 year. I am sure he may decline, but I think he’s still got a good 3 or 4 yrs of strong production ahead of him.
Plus, in the open market, he would have most assuredly gotten that money if he continued to produce like he has been so far this year.
Too much for a possible platoon player with suspect defense… Let’s hope that Ethier doesn’t see any major regression to the player he was in 2010 in at least the first three years of this deal. If that happens, it will be at very least a fair cut for the Dodgers. Otherwise, it will be a brutal overpay.
It’s a slight overpay but nothing crazy, his defensive numbers last 1 1/4 years look good but who knows if that is actual improvement or just random numbers?
Good deal for both sides! Andre has been nothing short of solid for the Dodgers, and I can’t imagine anyone else in RF right now. Who cares about his UZR? Honestly, if defensive metrics mattered that much, the Red Sox would bench Big Papi in inter-league play.
Seems like an overpay for a guy that only had 2 seasons of 150+ games played.
Early Congrats to Andre Ethier, well deserved contract extension
Too much money and the deal will probably look pretty bad in the last 2 years. That being said, Ethier is a pretty good player and some defensive metrics actually show him as being an above average outfielder. Durability is the main concern here. The Dodgers were likely motivated to get this extension done, due to the fact the 2013 free agent crop of outfielders is pretty weak.