April 23, 2008...1:48 am
Blue Birds’ Big Hurt
If I were the GM of say Oakland, Minnesota, Tampa Bay or Kansas City, I’d be making a strong bid to get Frank Thomas, who was released Sunday by Toronto.
The Jays used Thomas’ slow start at the plate (.167 avg. and just 4 hits in his last 35 at-bats) to wiggle out of some contract bonuses the Big Hurt was approaching.
Had Thomas managed 367 plate appearances this season, the Blue Jays were on the hook to pay a $10 million dollar vesting option that would have kicked in for 2009.
“There’s no bitterness here for me, I understand the business of baseball. They’re moving toward the future. It’s a (good) situation for me because I didn’t have to sit here and go through being benched,” said Thomas.
As it is now, Thomas is a very affordable free agent. So, should another team choose to sign Frank, they can do so at the pro-rated league minimum. Cha-Ching!
Of course, I still don’t understand why Toronto was so quick to pull the plug on big Frank. After all, Toronto had to be aware that Thomas is a notorious slow starter with a career average of .282 in March and April.
On the flip side, after the first two months of the season, Thomas has a career batting average of .300 or better. I mean, the guy led the Jays in home runs (26) and RBIs (95) last year.
However, it appears the Jays seem to think replacing Frank, 39, with Matt Stairs, 40, is the best route to competing with the immortals of the AL East, New York and Boston. Good luck with that choice.
Sorry blue birds, you just shot yourself in the foot. Worse, there’s no way Thomas is headed to the National League, so Toronto can bet they’ll Frank him playing for the opposition before the end of the year.
And lastly Toronto, grab the salt shaker, you’ll want it while eating the $8 million you still owe big Frank.
Here’s why the teams listed above should go after Frank. Although, you can stop any fantasies of Frank ever manning first base again. Since 2004, the Big Hurt has made exactly four, I repeat, four appearances as a first sacker.
- Oakland: This is where many baseball experts think Thomas will end up. Obviously, this pairing has worked before (2006) and still makes sense now.
Two years ago, Frank finished fourth in the MVP voting after knocking out 39 home runs and driving in 114 while leading the A’s to the post season.
At the time, Thomas played under a one-year deal for the league minimum and the same could be done now in ‘08.
And, while the A’s concentrate on getting the most bang for its bucks with players, they could do just that by adding Frank’s power and experience to a young team; and all at a bargain rate.
- Minnesota: The Twins were the runner up to Toronto in the Frank Thomas sweepstakes of 2007. However, the Twinkies are still a good fit for round two as well.
Currently, the Twins are relying on Craig Monroe and Jason Kubel in the DH spot. Monroe, 31, has been awful (.219 avg. in ’07) since a solid 2006 season (28 HR, 92 RBIs) and is still just a lifetime .256 batter.
Kubel is 26-years-old and has never played in more than 128 games with career highs of 13 home runs and 65 RBIs in 2007.
Hands down, the 39-year-old Thomas would make an immediate impact in the lineup behind Mauer and in front of Morneau more so than Monroe and Kubel combined.
Plus, the small market Twins can afford Frank’s league minimum salary and make a big splash in a very winnable AL Central.
- Tampa Bay: Nothing against Cliff Floyd but, the guy is on his last legs. And, whereas Floyd’s numbers have fallen the past several seasons, Thomas’ numbers are still very, very productive.
Again, the Rays are in a small market, Frank’s affordable, and it would be sweet for the big fella to his hacks in the A.L. East against the team that let him walk (Toronto).
Plus, the Rays are really trying to change the culture of the franchise, adding Thomas would only help the cause to win back some fans in Tampa.
- Kansas City: This is probably a stretch. The Royals have carefully constructed a young and talented roster. Adding Frank’s moody veteran personality to the mix is a gamble.
Plus, the Royals are counting on long time prospect Billy Butler in the DH spot. The 24-year-old Butler brings high expectations into his second year in the majors and, it’s not expected the right-handed batter will share much playing time in the DH roll.
Moreover, the Jays offered Frank about three starts per week and the Big Hurt was not amused. While it’s unlikely Thomas would find himself in Kansas City, it’s still possible Butler could move to left field and allow Frank the full time DH position.
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