The 2017 season may be one that’s the last with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Andre Ethier and Adrian Gonzalez. The former has a $2.5 million buyout on his contract for next season, while the latter was shut down this week for the remainder of the year.
Ethier and Gonzalez each battled injury for much of the year, which marked a second time in as many seasons doing so for the outfielder. Conversely, Gonzalez went on the disabled list for the first time in his career. Chronic bulging discs in his lower back required a second DL stint.
For Ethier, he’s on track to again miss the first five months of the season but join the Dodgers for their playoff run. While he’s been limited on the field, Ethier’s leadership has been highlighted the past two seasons by Joc Pederson, Andrew Toles and Cody Bellinger, among others.
According to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times, the 35-year-old Ethier has been cognizant of maintaining a positive relationship with his younger teamamtes:
“I don’t want to talk to them like I’m always trying to teach or show them something,” Ethier said. “I want to be a guy who can be one of their buddies in the locker room, someone who has been there and seen a lot of stuff, but can also be relatable. It’s great to live through the things they’re going through for the first time.”
Now in his 13th season, Ethier is the longest-tenured player in the organization. He’s played a variety of roles for the Dodgers and was part of the club’s young core that followed Manny Ramirez’s lead in 2008 and 2099.
Los Angeles reached the National League Championship Series in each of those years but failed to get past the Philadelphia Phillies both instances. Unlike those teams, the Dodgers have home-field advantage through the NL playoffs this year.
What that means for Ethier and the rest of the team is still to be decided.
