Dodgers decline Andre Ethier’s option,

The Dodgers have decided to not pick up Andre Ethier’s $17.5 million option and paid him a $2.5 million to buy him out of his contract, allowing the veteran outfielder to become a free agent, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

Ethier, the longest tenured member on the Dodgers this season, completed the final year of his five-year, $85 million contract extension this year. Unfortunately, the 35-year-old had a hard time getting on the field the last two seasons, missing the first five months of each year with injuries. He had a broken tibia in 2016 and suffered a herniated disc in his back in 2017.

Despite the injuries, Ethier played in the postseason for the Dodgers. He set a franchise record in Game 7 of the World Series by playing in his 51st postseason game. He also knocked in the club's lone run during their 5-1 loss to the Astros with a pinch-hit single.

Ethier has played his entire career with the Dodgers after being acquired from the Athletics for Milton Bradley in 2005. He leaves Los Angeles as a two-time All-Star, a Silver Slugger Award winner and a Gold Glove Award winner who slashed .285/.359/.463 in 1,455 career games.

With Ethier becoming a free agent, the Dodgers now have seven players who are free agents this offseason in Yu Darvish, Curtis Granderson, Franklin Gutierrez, Brandon Morrow, Chase Utley and Tony Watson.