Ethier Following in Beltre's Footsteps?

Something tells me we're going to see the Adrian Beltre side of Andre Ethier this season in Los Angeles.

Beltre was an enigma for the Dodgers early in his career. A superb talent, he somehow was labeled an underachiever by the media and many fans. That's because Beltre was prone to mental lapses in general and cold spells with the bat, particularly early in the season. He seemed almost disinterested at times, which was maddening for baseball people who recognized his talents.

Then suddenly, as the final year of his contract came in 2004, Beltre recognized the potential for a big payoff in free agency -- and put together one of the better years in recent Dodgers history, smacking 48 home runs, driving in 121. He had one big hit after another in LA's memorable run to the Western Division title.

Now, Ethier finds himself in much the same situation. Although he has shown flashes of the star he could be, such as the 30-game hitting streak last season, Ethier all too often has come up short, especially when it really mattered. He has the tendency to disappear in the second half of the season, and except for the 2009 NLDS against St. Louis, Ethier has been less than imposing for opposing pitchers in the postseason.

And much like Beltre, there are clear indications that Ethier wants out of Los Angeles; in fact, he said as much to the media last season. There has been tension between Ethier and manager Don Mattingly, and Ethier's feelings obviously were hurt when the team made only half-hearted attempts to work out a long-term contract. Plus, there are the constant rumors that he wants to reunite with Arizona State buddy Dustin Pedroia in Boston.

So while none of this may bode well for the Dodgers in the future, it does mean big things for 2012. Ethier is clearly motivated by money and the opportunity to move on -- which means if he can avoid some of the injuries that have plagued him in the past, he's likely to put together a 35-homer, 120-RBI campaign this season.

With those numbers, an offense that requires improvement simply to be labeled "anemic" becomes formidable. Although Matt Kemp's stats are likely to drop from what should have been an MVP campaign in 2011, he's still good for 30 HR and 100 RBI. With Dee Gordon having a full season as a table-setter at the start of the lineup, Juan Rivera/Jerry Sands producing runs from day one in left field, James Loney (also playing for a contract) picking up where he left off at the end of 2011, Juan Uribe bouncing back from injury to be the run-producer he can be ... well, the potential is there for the Dodgers to be a pretty good offensive club.

Matched with a pitching staff anchored by Clayton Kershaw, it's going to be enough to keep LA in the hunt in the National League West. And honestly, how many wins could it possibly take to win the West this year? My guess is 88 or 89. The Diamondbacks can't possibly have everything go right that went right last year; the Giants are a bigger offensive mess than the Dodgers; and the Rockies continue to be completely unpredictable.

Of course, it all depends on Ethier's maintaining his focus and drive for a big contract in a different city -- and channeling his inner Beltre.