With J.D. Drew entering the final year of his contract and Ryan Kalish waiting in the wings to take his place, the Red Sox would seem to have their situation in right field settled for the time being.
Of course, it never hurts to keep an eye on developments elsewhere.
One such development that could impact that market for right fielders is the recent comments by Los Angeles Dodgers star Andre Ethier, who hinted that he might be entering his final year in Chavez Ravine.
Ethier, 28, told reporters Tuesday that he can see a scenario or two where he might be available to other teams next offseason, even though he’s not a free agent until after the 2012 season.
“If I don’t play well, we’ve seen them non-tender guys here, and if you play well, I’ve seen them not offer arbitration because they’re afraid guys are setting their salaries too high,” Ethier said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Ethier later added that a trade is also a possibility after the season.
Coming off a losing season and breaking in new manager Don Mattingly, the Dodgers non-tendered catcher Russell Martin this offseason, as Ethier noted. Martin was eventually signed by the New York Yankees a full two years before he is eligible to hit the free agent market.
Ethier, who will be making $9.25 million this year in the second half of a two-year contract, has been linked in rumors to the Red Sox before. Last September, a report by Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com said that Ethier told friends he would “love to come to Boston.” Ethier later refuted the report, but the thought of him as a natural replacement for Drew kept the two sides linked in the minds of many.
That will remain the case as long as Ethier is looking for a way out of Los Angeles.
Ethier hit .292 with 23 homers and 82 RBIs last season, his fifth with the Dodgers.
