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As the trade deadline approaches, General Manager Ned Colletti said Tuesday he has not had a definitive conversation with owners Frank and Jamie McCourt to determine whether the Dodgers can take on a big contract through a trade this summer.

The Dodgers’ gate revenue has dropped this season. The team did not raise prices on tickets or parking, and attendance has dropped 6%, as compared to the same number of home games last season.

The Dodgers refused to take on a big contract last summer. They paid in prospects but not in cash to acquire Manny Ramirez, Casey Blake and Angel Berroa, and they picked up a $500,000 share of Greg Maddux’s contract.

Colletti reiterated he hopes to acquire a pitcher, but whether that pitcher is a starter or reliever might be determined by what players other teams make available before the July 31 deadline.

“It’s not like you’re going to a buffet and you can pick up whatever you want,” Colletti said.

He also said he is not eager to trade Juan Pierre, even with Ramirez returning. The Dodgers do not have another reserve outfielder with significant major league experience, and Colletti hinted that the presence of Pierre could spur Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp.

“For everybody that said we should have traded Juan Pierre last winter or at the start of the season,” Colletti said, “where would we be without Juan Pierre now?

“I’d rather have more good players than positions. When competition comes into play, that’s a positive. I don’t see very much wrong with that.”

No change for Ethier

Pierre has a higher slugging percentage than Ethier since Ramirez was suspended, but Manager Joe Torre said Pierre will return to the bench and Ethier will remain a starting outfielder when Ramirez returns next week.

“Ethier, to me, is still a threat up there,” Torre said. “If he’s flatter than a pancake, we’ll do something, but I don’t anticipate that, or want that to happen.”

Pierre, a five-time National League singles leader, is batting .322 since Ramirez was suspended May 7, with 16 extra-base hits and a .415 slugging percentage.

Ethier was batting .317 with a .558 slugging percentage when Ramirez was suspended. He is batting .231 since then, with 14 extra-base hits and a .401 slugging percentage.

Torre said Ethier has put pressure on himself to produce in the absence of Ramirez.

“Ethier felt like he had to be that guy,” Torre said. “He’s battled himself, probably worse than anybody. He’d never admit it, but that’s what I saw.”

Pierre is slugging .423, which would be a career high. On Sunday, with Angels left fielder Juan Rivera playing rather shallow, Pierre doubled over Rivera’s head.

“The thing that has caught everyone’s attention is, he’s got a little more pop,” Torre said. “They can’t just play the prevent defense.”

Ethier is slugging .466.

Short hops

Rookie Mitch Jones got two hits as the designated hitter, and Torre said Jones might start at DH Thursday. . . . The Dodgers plan to activate Eric Milton from the disabled list to start Saturday, Torre said. Milton is 2-0 with a 2.89 earned-run average in four starts, none longer than 5 1/3 innings. . . . Torre said the Dodgers also would consider activating reliever Will Ohman when they return home this weekend.

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bill.shaikin@latimes.com