Ethier denied reports that he intended to retire back in November, but his retirement ended up being forced on him, as no team wanted to sign a 36-year-old who had been limited by injuries to just 64 plate appearances over the last two seasons. The veteran will end a 12-year career, spent entirely with the Dodgers, in which he hit .285/.359/.463 with 1,367 hits and 162 homers. He holds the Dodgers' record for most career postseason games, appearing in 51.

Robert Murray of FanRag Sports reported that Ethier had informed family and friends of his plans to retire from the MLB, but the veteran outfielder quickly shot those rumors down. According to Ethier, multiple teams have already shown interest in acquiring his services and he's currently planning on remaining in the big leagues for his thirteenth major-league season.

Ethier had his club option declined by the Dodgers this offseason after appearing in just 22 games during his injury-plagued 2017 season. The 35-year-old will close his successful 12-year playing career with two All-Star appearances and a Gold Glove to his name.

Rather than keep Ethier on the team for the 2018 season and pay him $17.5 million, the Dodgers turned down their option on Ethier and bought out his contract for $2.5 million. Injuries have been the focal point of the last two seasons for Ethier, as he's played in a combined 38 games in that time. During the 2017 campaign he played in 22 games, over which he slashed .235/.348/.441.