If you are a brand new Dodger fan who has been following the team for only… say… a year or so, you are undoubtedly very impressed with what you are seeing from Andre Ethier these past few games. After all, the soon-to-be 33-year-old Phoenix native is 6 for 11 (.545) with a home run, two doubles, five RBIs and one strikeout in his last four games – impressive by any standard. But if you are a longtime Dodger fan, you are well aware that things are not always as they appear when it comes to Andre Ethier – such as the fact that prior to these last four games Ethier was 4 for 22 (.182) with no home runs, no doubles, two RBIs and seven strikeouts in his previous nine games.

Yes, Ethier is heating up; and yes, this is a very good thing for a guy who is trying desperately to land one of the three everyday outfield jobs even though he has more or less already been labeled as the odd man out. But there is more to the enigma that is Andre Ethier – especially during spring training.

Ethier’s suddenly hot bat is nothing new – it seems to happen every spring.
(Photo credit – Ben Margot)

While it is great that Ethier has seemingly found his stroke, Dodger fans who have followed the often moody Dodger outfielder closely during past several spring training camps will remember that he does this every spring. Unfortunately and with few exceptions, Ethier has been unable to carry his spring training success into the regular season.

Over the past three years, Ethier hit .305, .302 and .333 in spring training 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively. But once into the regular season, he finished with batting averages of .284, .272 and .249 respectively; not bad (at least the first two) but certainly not All-Star-caliber stuff.

When Ethier reported for camp back on February 26, he was rather outspoken about preferring to play every day on another team than being a bench player with the Dodgers. And while this is completely understandable, hitting under the Mendoza Line during the first three weeks of spring does little to campaign for your cause. It also doesn’t help when you claim ignorance with what’s going on around you – especially with the very guys that you are competing with for an everyday roster spot.

“I don’t even know what anyone’s hitting. I don’t know what I’m hitting,” Ethier said. “Spring numbers are a tough thing to define and look at, especially for myself. I hit four-something last year and look how my season ended up. You just try to get yourself in a good rhythm.”

That may sound good and perhaps he even means it, but as you undoubtedly noticed in the earlier paragraph, Ethier hit .333 last spring, not “four-something.” Four-something (.472 to be exact) is what Joc Pederson – the guy who has undoubtedly already bumped Ethier from an everyday job in the Dodgers outfield – is hitting this spring.

It’s no secret that the Dodgers have been trying to trade Ethier for the past several seasons. And while his current hot streak in front of hoards of major league scouts will only increase his trade value, the $56 million still owed to him over the next three seasons (plus a $17.5 million club option for a fourth or a $2.5 million buyout) is going to be a very tough sell to any team. But even after it was rumored that the Dodgers would be willing to eat half of that in order to attract a trade partner, Ethier probably should have chosen his words more carefully if he sincerely wants to improve his trade appeal.

“I’m here until I hear otherwise,” Ethier said. “I’m not out there shaking hands.”

Maybe you should be, Dre.

But there is one guy in Ethier’s corner, and rightfully so. After all, he’s supposed to be everyone’s corners – Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.

“He’s been considered [for an everyday outfield job] the whole time,” Mattingly said. “He’s swinging the bat well.”

Yes, Ethier is definitely (and finally) swinging the bat well. But as history has shown, it might not matter once the regular season begins.