Andre Ethier wants to start
After being the odd man out in the outfield for the second half of last season, Andre Ethier has let the Los Angeles Dodgers know that he wants to play every day.
Ethier told the Los Angeles Times that he had his agent tell the Dodgers that he didn't want to return to a similar scenario in 2015. He got 341 at-bats in a rotation that also included Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Scott Van Slyke and, late in the season, prospect Joc Pederson.
He also clarified that he wasn't making a play-me-or-trade-me ultimatum to the Dodgers.
"I'm not there saying that yet because there's still a lot of things to hash out and get going with this team," Ethier told the LA Times. "It's one where I said through my agent, I want to play every day, and that's what I'm expecting to do this year. It's their decision to make from there what they want to do with that."
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said in November that he plans on trading one of his outfielders prior to spring training.
"Whether to play here every day or play somewhere else," Ethier told the LA Times. "It was fun trying to win the way we did last year, but it didn't prove any more successful than me playing every day or not playing every day.
"I'd rather play every day and help this team win -- or whatever team it is -- to the best of my ability. I feel I can, if given a role. As I stand here today, I'm preparing every day to be a starting outfielder for the Dodgers, until I'm told otherwise. I'm not changing my mind about that. It's probably going to be a little less wanting to take the same role as I did last year."
The 32-year-old Ethier, who is still owed $56 million on his deal that expires after the 2017 season, hit .249 with four home runs, 42 RBIs and a career-low .370 slugging percentage last season.
"It didn't work," Ethier told the LA Times. "Let's do something different. That's the way I look at it. And I think a lot of people probably look at it that way, too.
"I want to be playing every day and be in the lineup every day and find a way to contribute. I've made my decision to come in and play the best I can next year and be a starter."
