By Jordan Long
The Los Angeles Dodgers have decided to decline a club option for Andre Ethier for next season. He was scheduled to make $17.5 million next year. Ethier is now a free agent. Could the Chicago Cubs be a landing spot?
Ethier is a decent outfielder who rarely drops the ball. He can play every position in the outfield. Ethier has a strong arm to throw batters out trying to advance on the base paths. At the plate, he can smack the ball for hits, home runs, move runs into scoring position, and score his teammates. When Ethier is on base, he is a threat to steal bases to move into scoring position. Ethier is a career .285 hitter with 162 home runs and 687 RBI’s.
The Chicago Cubs need a veteran outfielder. Under contract for the 2018 season are right fielder Jason Heyward and left fielder Kyle Schwarber. They are young, after that with Leonys Martin and Albert Almora Jr. Adding Ethier solves center field.
The downside is Ethier‘s injury history. In the past two seasons, he appeared in 38 games. In 2016, he was limited to 16 games due to a broken right leg. This season Ethier played in only 22 games because of a herniated disc. He was able to play in 8 of the Dodgers’ postseason games.
If the Cubs agree to a contract with him, they are taking a large risk. Chicago would be hoping Ethier would be healthy and contribute to a winning baseball team. If he is hurt, it is a waste of a contract.
The Cubs need outfield help. There is an outfielder who is a better option than Ethier, Jayson Werth. Werth is a more reliable outfielder and has a stronger arm. Werth rarely makes a mistake in the outfield with a total of 3 errors last year. Werth stays on the field more. In the end it will come down to money. Ethier might want a lower contract than Werth. The Cubs at least have options to improve the outfield position. Free agency is where they are likely to find their center fielder.
Who should the Chicago Cubs go after to enhance the outfield position?
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