Source: Andre Ethier agrees to deal

[stevenash]

Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier, a two-time All-Star who would have been eligible for free agency after the season, has agreed in principle to a five-year, $85 million contract extension that will keep him in town through at least the 2017 season, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed Monday.

The deal also includes a $17.5 million club option for 2018 that would automatically vest if Ethier were to reach certain plate appearance thresholds in 2017 or in 2016-17 combined, potentially taking the total value of the contract to $100 million over six years.
The new deal will pay Ethier salaries of $13.5 million in 2013, $15.5 million in 2014, $18 million in both 2015 and 2016 and $17.5 million in 2017. There is a $2.5 million buyout of the club option if it doesn't vest and the club chooses not to exercise it.
Ethier declined to comment on the new contract after Monday night's 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, in which he went hitless in four at-bats with three strikeouts.
"I have been instructed that I won't comment ... until tomorrow," Ethier said. "There will be an announcement tomorrow. We will talk tomorrow, I promise."

Ethier, 30, was an All-Star each of the past two seasons, then avoided arbitration last winter by agreeing on a one-year deal with a $10.95 million base salary. He entered Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Angels hitting .287 for the season and leading the National League with 53 RBIs despite struggling since the start of June.
Ethier becomes the latest of several young Dodgers to be locked into long-term deals that will prevent the club from losing them to free agency. Fifteen months ago, former All-Star right-hander Chad Billingsley agreed to a three-year, $35 million deal that didn't begin until this year, and last winter, All-Star center fielderMatt Kemp accepted the largest contract in Dodgers history, an eight-year, $160 million deal.

[stevenash]

Question?
Is 17+ million dollars a year too much for Ethier, or pretty much correct?

2009 was a fluke, he's pretty much a 20 homer a year guy (maybe a little more) but (with the exception of 2009 season) struggles to reach 80 RBI's a season.

He'll strike out over 100 times a season, that's a given.

This is what I do like about him though.
Nice career batting average of .291
A very nice career OBA of .363

I would have let him walk at the end of the year and give Josh Hamilton a big time contract instead.

[taxe91]

17 mill a year is overpaid and there's no way around that fact, but if the new owners have the money then it doesnt matter. You know what youre gonna get with Ethier he's a consistent 2-3 WAR player with recently improved defense. RBI's is the most meaningless offensive stat so it doesnt make a difference if he struggles to get over 80, put him in the Rangers lineup and he'd have 120 every year.

Would rather sign him over Hamilton though, signing Hamilton to anything more than 3 years is a high risk move for a franchise. Speaking of Hamilton this extension is really going to hurt his bargaining power with the Rangers, it crosses another team off the list that would be willing to sign him.

If I were Ethier I would be sending a nice big thank you card to Carl Crawford and his obscene contract for giving Ethier's agent the negotiating power to pull off this extension.

[HoulihansTX]

This is Ned Colletti grabbing the only shiny piece of metal in that dumpster they call a lineup. Is the team producing? Sure, but long term most of those guys are utility players and will be exposed in playoffs. And thats if they keep their pace, and SF slows down.

[taxe91]

I reckon their biggest worry if they make it to the playoffs is that after Kershaw the rest of their pitchers are glorified scrubs. Assuming they could even make it past a wildcard playoff and an NLDS, they'd need Clayton to pitch 3 times to have any chance at an NLCS/WS.

good pitching will always beat good hitting in the postseason, otherwise texas would be the two-time reigning WS champs right now

[Grits n' Gravy]

As bad a contract JD Drew was given by Boston. He did get a few big hits for Sox in WS run and nothing else. He likely would have got as much on open market but to me is worth no more than 4 years/48 mil in baseball dollars and a lot less in real dollars.

[stevenash]

good pitching will always beat good hitting in the postseason, otherwise texas would be the two-time reigning WS champs right now

Spot on, brilliant point, been preaching this for years.
You sir, are a very good baseball poster.
I don't put as much credence as you do with the Wins Above Replacement numbers, but I do pay attention to them.

I'm a big OBA and WH/IP guy myself, but that's just me.
Remember Earl Weaver and his three run bomb theory?

[taxe91]

Spot on, brilliant point, been preaching this for years.
You sir, are a very good baseball poster.
I don't put as much credence as you do with the Wins Above Replacement numbers, but I do pay attention to them.

I'm a big OBA and WH/IP guy myself, but that's just me.
Remember Earl Weaver and his three run bomb theory?

WAR can be pretty misleading because of its different calculations and the particular stats it uses to evaluate players. I like to compare it to player's contracts because of the whole '1 WAR = $5 million' philosophy that developed recently when trying to value players.

I'm not that knowledgeable on advanced offensive stats so I look at OPS to look at hitters just because that slugging component makes it clearer why someone like Ryan Braun would be considered a better hitter than somebody like Brett Gardner who I assume would have a similar OBP

edit: just checked it and maybe Dustin Pedroia would be a better example than Gardner

[Brock Landers]

he's a good player, not a franchise guy

[ridims]

Ethier is a f\*g. He looks like he is the one "receiving" after the game. The clubhouse wants his whore ass around.

[crustyme]

the only great move ned colletti ever made as dodgers gm: trading milton bradley for ethier.

dodgers def overpaid cause he wouldnt get more than 10-12m in the open market but with kemp down hes the only one keeping them in contention.

but ned colletti is known to overpay for washed up players like andruw jones (2yr $36m), man-ram (2yr $45m), juan pierre (5yr $44m), furcal (3yr $33m) and jason schmidt (3yr $47m). at least andre isnt washed up.... yet.

[darrell74]

Kemp/Ethier is worth it
They gotta find a way to stay healthy together