How Andre Ethier’s new contract becomes a six-year deal

If all goes as planned, that five-year extension for $85 million that Andre Ethier just signed won’t be hard to turn into a six-year, $100-million deal.

The sixth year automatically vests if Ethier has either 550 plate appearances in his fifth season, or a total of 1,100 plate appearances in the last two years of the guaranteed portion of the contract, according to The Times’ Dylan Hernandez.

Ethier has had at least 550 plate appearances in his past four seasons, including last year (551) when he missed most of September following knee surgery. When Ethier played 160 games in 2009 he had 695 plate appearances.

If he doesn’t make enough plate appearances to automatically guarantee the sixth season, the Dodgers can still pick up the option for $17.5 million or exercise a $2.5-million buyout.

The contract does not include a no-trade provision.

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