Dodgers Rumors: Could Yasiel Puig Push Andre Ethier Out Of LA?

Ready for your weekly dose of Andre Ethier trade rumors? Well, this time it sounds like trading Ethier is a real possibility as Yasiel Puig captured the baseball world last night with his two hits and incredible double play to end the game.

Ethier has been a big disappointment this season as he’s hitting .237 with four home runs and 15 RBIs and has already been singled out by manager Don Mattingly for his poor play.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com discussed that Ethier’s name will come up in trade discussions:

It’s only one day into the new Dodgers phenomenon that should heretofore be known as Puigmania. But you know it will come up. You just know Andre Ethier’s name is going to start to work its way into trade speculation.

Yes its only been one game, but it’s going to be very difficult for Dodgers management to explain to the fans that in a season filled with disappointment and injury that sending Puig down to the minors is the right move.

However, the biggest obstacle in trading Ethier is his terrible contract and Heyman discussed that:

Is the contract even movable?

“It would have to be a bad contract for a bad contract,” another GM said.

Just how much? And how bad?

“No one’s untradeable if the team eats enough of the money,” a third rival GM said. “I bet they’d have to eat half.”

Eating half of Ethier’s remaining salary for him to play for another team would be very difficult for Stan Kasten and Ned Colletti to do, but it might be their only choice. Ethier was signed when the new owners arrived as a “we have money” statement, but in reality he wasn’t worth the five-year $85 million extension in the first place.

Regardless, if Ethier continues to perform this way his name will continue to be thrown around and talks should intensify if Puig continues to play like he did last night.