Toronto Blue Jays left field trade possibilities

Sep 18, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pinch hitter Andre Ethier (16) hits an RBI double against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Andre Ethier  –  LA Dodgers

Contract Remaining:  3 years, $53.5M  ($17.5M vesting option for 2018, $2.5M buyout)

I include Ethier solely in an effort to cover all of our bases, because I’ve seen his name pop up in several different discussions.  Ethier isn’t far removed from playing some very good baseball, but his 2014 numbers regressed with a slash line of .249 / .322 / .370.

As you see, Ethier is due a mammoth salary over the next few seasons, and unless the Dodgers ate 95% of his remaining contract, the return of Shea Hillenbrand and Ted Lilly is more likely than Ethier coming to the Toronto Blue Jays.

If the Dodgers are lucky enough to offload his contract, a team will be getting a great hitter against right-handed pitching, but a liability against the lefties.  Ethier shows again that the line between the Blue Jays’ in-house options and overpaid trade targets is thinner than one might expect.

Next: Do Blue Jays still believe in analytics?

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