Andre Ethier Denies Rumors That He Plans To Retire

Although Andre Ethier’s days as a Dodger may be over, he confirmed that he intends to keep playing. It was reported early Sunday by Robert Murray of FanRag Sports that Ethier was planning to retire, but these rumors were quickly put to rest.

Here is what Andre Ethier had to say about it, courtesy of Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:

Andre Ethier said reports that he's retiring are "totally untrue." Teams have already shown interest, he said his back is healthy and he's preparing to play in 2018.

— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) November 26, 2017

The original post, which has since been deleted, stated that Ethier had been telling his close friends and family that he intended to call it a career. Although it’s not true, the thought of Andre retiring was far from surprising. Ethier has had a great career, but has only appeared in 38 games over the past two seasons, and most were as a pinch hitter. A broken leg suffered in spring training of 2016 led to him missing the first 5 months of the 2016 season and a herniated disc suffered during spring training of 2017 again held him out until September.

Ethier did have some big hits down the stretch in 2017, showing glimpses of his prime when he carried the nickname “Captain Clutch.” However, he was clearly not the same player after injuries caused him to miss the better part of two seasons. While he may still have a couple years left, his days as an every day player in the field are likely over. Because of this, the Dodgers declined his 2018 option and he is now a free agent.

As reported by Ken Gurnick, teams have reportedly shown interest in Ethier. The role he will play for a team moving forward is unclear, but considering his injury issues it will likely be as a platoon outfielder and pinch hitter or as a designated hitter. Wherever Andre ends up, he will always be beloved by Dodger fans and we wish him the best moving forward!