UPDATE: Bob Nightengale confirms that the deal is done. The five-year, $85 million figure was accurate. Add to it a?$17.5 million vesting option for a sixth year or a $2.5 million buyout. ?The option vests if he hits a specific number of plate appearances from 2016-17.
1:10 A.M.: Andre Ethier?s big start has been parlayed into a big contract: five years and $85 million big.
Ethier was long rumored to be on the way out of Los Angeles as a free agent at season?s end, if not before, but obviously the ownership change led to a big turnaround there. Now the 30-year-old Ethier might be in a position to finish his career in Los Angeles. His deal includes a vesting option that would take him through 2018, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Apart from last year?s injury-plagued season, Ethier has been a consistent hitter on a year-to-year basis, finishing with OPSs between .802 and .885. He?s at .871 this year with his .292/.353/.518 line. He?s hit 10 homers and driven in 52 runs in 60 games.
Still, one wonders if this has the potential to turn into a Jason Bay-like deal for the Dodgers. Ethier?s defense in right field is average at best, and considering that he turns 31 next season, there?s a good chance he?s already had his best seasons. The Dodgers will be paying an All-Star?s salary to guy who projects as little more than an average regular two or three years down the line.
That said, the Dodgers are flush with cash, and the Ethier deal isn?t at all likely to stop them from making a big addition or two this winter. Also, that they?ve handed out massive deals to Matt Kemp and Ethier should only make them more attractive to potential free agents. For on-field production, the Dodgers probably won?t end up getting much bang for their buck here. Still, it?s not something that figures to hamstring the franchise.
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