Report: Red Sox Inquired About Andre Ethier Earlier in Offseason, Were Told Outfielder 'Not Available'

Report: Red Sox Inquired About Andre Ethier Earlier in Offseason, Were Told Outfielder ‘Not Available’

by Ricky Doyle on Fri, Dec 21, 2012 at 11:02AM

Andre Ethier‘s name has been coming up in trade rumors recently, but the Dodgers might have to be blown away in order for them to deal the All-Star outfielder.

That apparently didn’t stop the Red Sox from at least asking about Ethier, though. According to CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman, the Sox inquired about Ethier earlier in the offseason but were told the outfielder was “not available.”

Ethier is coming off a season in which he hit .284 with 20 home runs and 89 RBIs in 149 games. He failed to earn an All-Star selection, but the 30-year-old was selected to the Midsummer Classic in 2010 and 2011. Ethier finished sixth in NL MVP voting in 2009 after finishing the year with a .272 average, 31 home runs and 106 RBIs for the NL West-winning Dodgers.

#redsox inquired about andre ethier at the start of winter & were told “not available.” more evidence he’s staying in LA

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 20, 2012

Heyman seems to think that the Dodgers’ refusal to discuss a deal involving Ethier with the Red Sox serves as further proof that the veteran is staying put in L.A. However, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported earlier this week that the Dodgers are shopping Ethier, with their intent being to clear a spot for a free agent such as Nick Swisher or Michael Bourn.

It should be noted that Ethier is good friends with Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia — a relationship that stems from their college playing days at Arizona State.