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Andre Ethier

Dodgers Notes: Ethier, Kasten, Selig, O’Malley

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The sale of the Dodgers to a group headed by Magic Johnson and longtime MLB executive Stan Kasten has been the biggest story in sports over the past 48 hours.  Here's a look at the latest out of Los Angeles..

  • Andre Ethier says that it's too early to say how the Dodgers’ sale could affect his future, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.  Ethier is under contract this year for $10.95MM and will be eligible for free agency at the end of the season.  The outfielder sounds open to discussing a deal during the season.
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN Radio (via Twitter) believes that one of Stan Kasten's first moves will be to sign Clayton Kershaw long-term and go after the likes of Matt Cain, Cole Hamels, or Zack Greinke in free agency.
  • MLB commissioner Bud Selig addressed the sale of the club, saying, "This has been a long, difficult process, and I once again want to thank the great Dodger fans for their loyalty and patience," tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
  • Former owner Peter O'Malley led an unsuccessful bid to buy back his club but is happy to see that Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten will be at the helm, writes Shaikin.

NL West Links: Cain, Giants, Ethier, Quentin

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On this date in 1999, the Diamondbacks acquired Tony Womack from the Pirates for Jason Boyd and a minor leaguer. Womack hit .269/.314/.362 in five seasons with the D'Backs, helping the club to the 2001 World Championship. Here's the latest from the NL West…

  • Giants CEO Larry Baer wouldn't give away much regarding contract talks with Matt Cain except to say that they are "back and forth" and "ongoing," tweets Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com.
  • "I'm going to be respectful of the process here," said Baer to reporters (including MLB.com's Chris Haft) when asked about the Giants potentially relinquishing territorial rights to San Jose, allowing the Athletics to move. "You know, I think that's really important. The game is bigger than any internal machinations."
  • "I can't tell you what will happen with that," said Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick when asked about signing a contract extension after the team is sold at the end of April. "The only thing I can change is the way I play. Today is today, and that's all I can handle. I'm here to play for today." Ethier can become a free agent after the season.
  • Carlos Quentin is returning home to Southern California following his trade to the Padres, and Don Norcross of The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote about the excitement he brings to the team.

NL West Notes: Ethier, Giants, Suppan, Saito

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Jim Tracy's indefinite contract extension with the Rockies is the big headline out of the NL West today, but let's see what else is happening around the division.

  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said he would like to sign Andre Ethier to an extension and said he's had a few conversation with the outfielder about the topic, including a visit to Ethier's home over the offseason.  Colletti's remarks came during an interview with FOX Sports West during a Los Angeles Kings hockey game (video embedded by Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times).
  • With Ryan Vogelsong battling a back injury, Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com speculates that the Giants could be "scanning the free-agent ranks to find a last-minute arm or two."  In the meantime, Eric Surkamp and new acquisitions Brian Burres and Ramon Ortiz are being stretched out.
  • Jeff Suppan talks to MLB.com's Corey Brock about why the 37-year-old veteran is still trying to get back to the Major Leagues as a Padres non-roster invitee.
  • The Diamondbacks didn't have Takashi Saito take a physical before signing the reliever since the team thought he would fail it, GM Kevin Towers told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic).  "Mark Weidemaier, our advanced scout, was with him in L.A. and I think that they said four or five years ago that one pitch and his arm could go," Towers said.  “We thought that the skill-set and what he could bring to the club far outweighed the risk.”  Manager Kirk Gibson said Saito is being on a separate Spring Training schedule in order to help keep him healthy.
  • Gibson said he hasn't spoken to Gerardo Parra about the Diamondbacks' signing of Jason Kubel earlier this winter as the team's new everyday left fielder.  Piecoro thinks Parra "has a right to be unhappy" about losing his starting job despite winning a Gold Glove and a solid year at the plate in 2011, but as I wrote last month, Parra is still a key part of Arizona's future plans.

NL West Notes: Byrnes, Moorad, Ethier

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Every NL West team enters Spring Training with three or more out of options players, as MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes showed earlier today. Here are the latest links from the division…

  • Padres CEO Jeff Moorad told Tom Krasovic of Inside the Padres that Josh Byrnes' deal as GM is for five years plus an option. Moorad said he and Byrnes tore up the eight-year deal they signed when they were with the Diamondbacks. Byrnes obtained a raise and an extra year of guaranteed salary under his new deal, Krasovic writes.
  • The Padres are on the verge of signing a 20-year, $1 billion TV deal with FOX, according to Barry Bloom of MLB.com. The club would earn $30MM in 2012 and $70MM by the time the contract expires unless something changes before it's finalized, Bloom explains.
  • Bloom also reports that the ownership transfer from John Moores to Moorad isn’t about to go through and could take a couple of years to become official.
  • Steve Dilbeck of the LA Times says the Dodgers should sign Andre Ethier to a three-year contract in the upper-$30MM range if possible. Ethier will earn $10.95MM in 2012 before hitting free agency, and I doubt he'd agree to the terms Dilbeck suggests.

Cafardo On Dodgers, Ethier, Red Sox, Cubs, Orioles

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As demonstrated by the Red Sox last year, "winning" December and January doesn’t necessarily translate into winning when it counts, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  With that said, Cafardo takes a look at where all 30 teams rank after making their moves thus far.  Unsurprisingly, the Angels top Cafardo's list, followed by the Yankees and Rangers.  The Tigers, after signing Prince Fielder, occupy the fifth spot in the rankings.  Cafardo writes that a Fielder-Miguel Cabrera middle of the order could be monstrous, but the club could use more bullpen help.  Here's more from today's column..

  • The Dodgers will soon decide whether to lock up Andre Ethier with a long-term deal as they did with Matt Kemp.  Earlier this month, it was reported that the club had yet to discuss extensions with Ethier and Clayton Kershaw.  The right fielder, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, avoided arbitration with the team by agreeing to a one-year, $10.7MM deal.
  • Three West Coast teams are kicking the tires on reliever Hong-Chih Kuo and the veteran seems like a good gamble.  The Dodgers, who non-tendered him earlier this month, are one of those three clubs.  Kuo once had great stuff but has undergone five elbow surgeries, including two Tommy Johns, and has also experienced anxiety issues.  
  • An AL GM who is not associated with the Red Sox or Cubs believes that Commissioner Bud Selig will give Boston a significant player in the compensation agreement:  "I don’t think MLB wants executives leaving their teams before their contracts are up and therefore he will try to deter teams from doing that again."
  • Cafardo credited Orioles VP of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette with doing a solid job of building the club thus far.  The next step for the club might be to add a DH such as Johnny Damon while hoping for the best when it comes to pitching.  By this time next year, Duquette will add a significant piece to the rotation.
  • Teams are now looking for "tack-on" guys, the ones who “can really make you look good," according to one AL assistant GM.  Raul Ibanez and Hideki Matsui could both be reasonably-priced  quality additions and the Yankees could be a fit for either one.  Serviceable relievers Mike Gonzalez, Chad Qualls, and Juan Cruz also remain on the open market.

Dodgers Avoid Arbitration With Andre Ethier

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The Dodgers avoided arbitration with right fielder Andre Ethier on a one-year deal worth $10.95MM plus performance bonuses, tweets his agency CAA.  He received a $1.7MM raise.  MLBTR had projected a $10.7MM salary for Ethier, who is entering his final season before free agency.  

As our arbitration tracker shows, the Dodgers still have Clayton Kershaw and James Loney on the docket.

Dodgers Yet To Talk Extension With Kershaw, Ethier

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The Dodgers locked up MVP candidate Matt Kemp to an eight-year, $160MM contract earlier this offseason, but they aren't close to signing any more of their core players. Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times reports (on Twitter) that the team has yet to discuss long-term contract extensions with Andre Ethier and Clayton Kershaw.

Ethier, 29, is projected to earn $10.7MM in 2012, his final trip through arbitration before becoming a free agent after next season. The two-time All-Star slumped in the power department in 2011, hitting just 11 homers while battling knee and elbow problems. He's a .291/.364/.479 career hitter, though he has struggled against left-handers (.242/.302/.359) and the advanced metrics don't love his defense.

The 23-year-old Kershaw can't become a free agent until after 2015, but signing him might be the more pressing issue for the Dodgers. Our model projects him to earn $8.4MM in 2012 thanks to his Cy Young Award, even though it will be just his first time through arbitration. The southpaw led the National League in wins (21), ERA (2.28) and strikeouts (248) last year, and in his three full seasons he owns a 2.63 ERA and 9.5 K/9 in 608 2/3 innings.

Ben Nicholson-Smith suggested a five-year, $30MM deal for Kershaw back in August 2010, but the Dodgers can forget about that now. A contract in line with the ones signed by Felix Hernandez (five years, $78MM) and Justin Verlander (five years, $80MM) before last season are more reasonable comparables.

AL West Notes: Rangers, Wilson, Feliz, Angels, A’s

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With tonight's victory, the Rangers became the first AL West team to win consecutive pennants since the A's won three straight American League titles between 1988 and 1990.  Here are a few news items from around the division….

  • Despite recent rumors, the Rangers say there's "no way" they'll throw money at CC Sabathia this offseason, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). If Texas does decide to go after a starter from outside the organization, it would probably be Yu Darvish.
  • "[C.J. Wilson] wants $100MM, and he's not getting that from us," a Rangers source tells Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.  The source says that if Wilson leaves Texas for free agency, Alexi Ogando and Neftali Feliz would both be converted into starting pitchers next season.
  • The Angels may be close to a new television contract with FOX Sports, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.  A filing from Major League Baseball (in the ongoing legal case with Frank McCourt) stated that the Halos are "expected to close a new transaction" in regards to a new TV deal.  Shaikin hears from sources that "no deal is imminent" but FOX and the Angels have been in negotiations.  Shaikin speculates that the contract could exceed the Rangers' recent 20-year, $1.6BB TV contract with FOX.
  • The Athletics were denied permission to interview Reds pitching coach Bryan Price, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link).  Price's contract in Cincinnati expires after next season.
  • Athletics scouts were against the December 2005 trade of then-prospect Andre Ethier to the Dodgers for Milton Bradley, tweets Tom Krasovic of West Coast Bias.

Dodgers Notes: Colletti, Kuroda, Barajas, Legal Ruling

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On this day in 1978, the Dodgers clinched the NLCS on Bill Russell's walkoff single in the 10th inning of Game Four.  It was the 19th National League pennant for the Dodgers' franchise, though the club would lose the World Series to the Yankees.

Some news from the modern-day Dodgers…

  • GM Ned Colletti broke down the Dodgers' roster and offseason plans in an interview with ESPN's Jim Bowden.  Colletti reiterated that signing Matt Kemp to a multiyear extension was "a priority" and extending Clayton Kershaw would also be explored through without as much urgency since Kershaw is under control through 2014.  Colletti said he "would entertain" locking up Andre Ethier as well, and though he noted that Ethier is "coming off an injury and a subpar season," the GM also said that Ethier isn't a candidate to be dealt.
  • Hiroki Kuroda "is an extremely loyal person to both the Dodgers and the city of Los Angeles and really doesn't want to play anywhere else," Colletti said.  He noted that Kuroda's daughters go to school in L.A. and the right-hander has bought a house in town.
  • Colletti also noted that the Dodgers would "probably let Tim Federowicz and A.J. Ellis handle the [catching] duties" next season.  As Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times notes, this would mean the team won't bring back Rod Barajas, who last month said he hoped to finish his career in Dodger blue.
  • Barring a surprise signing of Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder, Mike Petriello of the Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness blog wonders where the Dodgers will find their desired middle-of-the-order bat this winter.
  • A bankruptcy judge has ruled that the Dodgers will not be able to obtain information from MLB's 29 other teams, reports Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.  Frank McCourt and his attorneys have stated that the Dodgers were being treated differently by Major League Baseball than other teams and were looking for documentation to prove this alleged double standard.

Dodgers Notes: Ethier, Wada, Mattingly, Payroll

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2011 may have been the most tumultuous season in Dodger history, but it was still a winning one as the club finished with an 82-79 record.  Here's the latest from Chavez Ravine….

  • "Andre Ethier's quirky personality has begun to wear thin on teammates and staff alike," several sources have told ESPN Los Angeles' Tony Jackson.  While Ethier would bring back a solid return on the trade market, Jackson doesn't think a move is likely to happen since Ned Colletti said the club needs Ethier's bat.
  • Also from Tony Jackson, a source close to the Dodgers says assistant GM Logan White was recently in Japan scouting left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.  Wada will be a free agent this winter and is known to be looking at a move to Major League Baseball.  NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman compared Wada to Dallas Braden, pitching-wise.
  • Don Mattingly's first season may be "more of a managerial audition than a chance for Mattingly to establish himself as a Los Angeles fixture in the dugout," writes T.J. Simers for the Los Angeles Times.  Simers suspects a new owner will want to "fumigate the place" of past Frank McCourt decisions, including hiring a new manager.
  • Alex Tabin has been hired as the Dodgers' new Director of Baseball Contracts, Research and Operations, according to a club press release.  As Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times explains, Tabin will fill many of the duties handled by former assistant GM Kim Ng.
  • The Dodgers will have roughly $105MM committed to their 2012 payroll, projects Jon Weisman for ESPN Los Angeles.  This could mean L.A. will have little to spend this winter, especially if any extra money goes into multiyear extensions for Ethier, Clayton Kershaw, and/or Matt Kemp.
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