TUESDAY: A trade involving Ethier is "not happening," Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports.

MONDAY: The Dodgers made headlines this season when they signed Andre Ethier to a five-year, $85MM extension. ESPN's Buster Olney reports that now, just months later, the team is open to the concept of trading their slugging right fielder (Twitter link).

Trading a player recently signed to such a large contract would be virtually unprecedented, though it would make previous reports that the team could retain Shane Victorino more logical.

The 30-year-old Ethier hit .284/.351/.460 with 20 home runs in 2012. Despite that production, there would be many deterrents for teams that show interest. Ethier struggled mightily against left-handed pitching, triple-slashing just .222/.276/.330 against southpaws. He'll be 31 years old on April 10 next season, and he will be 35 years of age when his $85MM extension expires. Beyond that, defensive metrics such as UZR and the Fielding Bible have never been fans of his glovework (though he has one Gold Glove under his belt).

However, most believe that Ethier would have fetched a larger payday had he become a free agent this offseason rather than signing his extension. Teams that would have had interest in the longtime Dodger could look at this as an opportunity to get Ethier into their lineup while saving some money. He would also present an alternative for teams that miss out on Josh Hamilton in free agency.