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Andre Ethier looks forward to return

MLB, Los Angeles Dodgers

With an eye on the upcoming season, Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier says he's looking forward to settling some "unfinished business."

In an interview with Mark Willard that will air at 11:30 a.m. Saturday on 710 ESPN, Ethier said that while he'd enjoy long-term stability in L.A., he's happy to have avoided arbitration with a one-year, $10.95-million deal so he can focus helping the Dodgers recover from their unsettled ownership situation.

Asked about wanting to be with the Dodgers long-term, Ethier said, "It comes down to the security part, too, but it also comes down to unfinished business and I feel like, yeah, I'm facing that decision now where hopefully it doesn't come down to me having to leave and [I can] be a part of this team when we start rebounding and getting back to where we need to be."

The ownership limbo seemingly affected the Dodgers' ability to deal in free agency this offseason, with general manager Ned Colletti saying earlier this month the team was essentially done with its offseason acquisitions because "we're at our payroll." So when news broke Tuesday of the Detroit Tigers nearing a deal with marquee free agent Prince Fielder, it wasn't lost on Ethier.

"Why can't the Dodgers be doing that? Look at the markets those two teams are, and the stability you see through the front office and the team being able to operate … on the level it should be," he said, adding, "you don't try to think of it too much as a player, but obviously if you're not going after the big fish like other teams are, like our partners are down there to the south of us, the Angels [who acquired Albert Pujols], it's tough to go out there and keep competing year after year if you're not going out there and making your team better every year.

"I think that's the situation we've been in. Obviously it's going to get better from here on out because of the sell and getting new people in there."

Ethier, who hit .292 with 11 home runs and 62 RBIs in 2011 before ending the season with a right knee injury, said he's aiming for a "strong, solid" 2012.

"I've kind of dealt with this knee thing for the past two years, put it off for one off-season and then last season it just became a thing where a lot of things started multiplying and getting worse and something where I couldn't quite get back my swing … It was very frustrating and I learned a lot from that."

Information from ESPNLA's Ramona Shelburne was used in this report.

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