Jays release Frank Thomas… huh?
So the Blue Jays released Frank Thomas the other day. Um… huh?
Yes, he’s off to a lousy start. This season, in 71 PA, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 167/306/333–639 OPS. Okay, obviously not what you want from your DH. But just last season, he put up an 857 OPS (not outstanding, but seemingly far better than current Blue Jay alternatives) - and obviously he’s made a career of producing at the plate. Yes, he’s almost 40, but hasn’t he earned the right to try and right himself? Or more to the point, are the Blue Jays really better off by not giving him that opportunity in Toronto?
I guess this gets more at-bats for Matt Stairs, but looking at his lefty/righty splits, I’m not sure the Jays want him to be a full-time hitter: The past three full seasons, vs. RHP 841 OPS; vs. LHP 739 OPS. Who else is going to benefit… 34-yr-old Shannon Stewart and his 2008 OPS of 589? The past three years, Stewart has put up a 724 OPS. Considering he’s got a 794 career OPS, he is declining and not exactly declining from a point of high production. And its not like he could platoon with Stairs (assuming they like someone else for LF), as he’s put up a 682 OPS vs. LHP the past three full seasons. Coming into this season, I liked Adam Lind to make a contribution - but that more in context of improving on the dismal LF production of last season (as I expected him to play ahead of Shannon Stewart)… not in replacing Frank Thomas this season. Who else is going to get Thomas’s ABs? What… are they going to DH Greg Zaun (and his career 732 OPS), so that back-up catcher Rod Barajas (and his career 697 OPS) can get more ABs? What’s the fallback plan here?
Newsflash: Frank Thomas started slow. So… this season is no different than the past three. The past three full seasons, Thomas’s OPS by month: April - 738; May - 829; June - 1001; July - 848; August - 961; September - 940. Pre-ASB - 872; Post-ASB - 911. April is his worst month, by far… but look at August and September.
The Jays have designs on making some noise in the AL (East) this season, and a DH with almost a 950 OPS in August and September would be helpful, don’t ya think? Aren’t they far more likely to get that production (or close to it) from Frank Thomas than from any (or all combined) of their remaining options? What am I missing here?
Is Frank Thomas on the decline (of a HOF career)? Yup - but a declining Frank Thomas at DH is still far better than anything else the Blue Jays can roll out there right now. There’s no young stud ready for The Show who’s path is being blocked. There’s no slugger currently on the DL (unless you expect Adam Lind to put up an 850+ OPS this season). I’m not aware of any pending trades bringing a hitter north of the border… but that’s about the only thing that makes sense. If that’s the case, though, what’s the harm in waiting until such a trade is completed. If there is no trade pending, then I’ll ask again: What am I missing here?
The Blue Jays just got worse - good for me, as a Red Sox fan… but not so good for them. I wish I knew what Ricciardi was thinking here.
April 25th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Frank Thomas is going to turn 40 years old this year. Frank Thomas is not a positive clubhouse influence. Frank Thomas had a vesting option for $10 M in 2009 if he played semi-regularly in TOR this year (370 PAs). When they signed Frank Thomas prior to 2007, Matt Stairs appeared to be DONE. Today, there is not an appreaciable difference between Stairs and Thomas. Thomas is slightly better, but not worth a guarenteed 10 M for next year.
I agree Stairs isn’t an ideal full time replacement, but he is only the lefthanded portion of whatever platoon Riccardi wants to go with. The right handed portion of that platoon could be Shannon Stewart, if they decide to bring up Travis Snider or Adam Lind.
April 26th, 2008 at 7:49 am
I love the move. His reaction to a one-game benching was completely rediculous. The same thing happened to Papi a few weeks ago (which seemed to do him some good until his fucking 0-6 gack last night against the mighty Rays), and he took it like a man.
Now, I don’t know what was said to Frank. Maybe they told him he was down for a while and not one game. But he (a) immediately goes to the press and (b) sits in the dugout like a 12-year-old after a win that night instead of going out on the field for the *TEAM* celebration. Ok, Frank…see ya.
It may have been a bad financial decision in the sense of not at least trying to trade him, but I love what the move said about the organization’s values, and would applaud the Red Sox if they did the same thing.
April 26th, 2008 at 10:53 am
After posting, I subsequently read about (a) the reaction to being sat down, and (b) the ABs clause that kicks in (a lot of) guaranteed money for next season… so it does make a bit of sense to me in that light.
Still… I think it’s a bit of an overreaction - and I would not be surprised if Thomas surfaces elsewhere and makes a contribution accordingly. I’m not saying he’ll finish top-5 in the MVP voting like his previous Phoenix impersonation in Oakland… but I don’t think he’s done by a long shot.
And the Blue Jays don’t really have a replacement - unless Adam Lind’s outstanding production at AAA thusfar this season can somehow translate to the majors. I remember Lind from some Sox-Jays games last year, and he looked pretty good to me then - but replacing Thomas’s production? That’s a very tall order.
May 9th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
There you go… A platoon of Stairs and Mench is more productive than Thomas THIS year. For his career Mench has put up .305/.361/.563 line against lefties. Stairs against righties is .274/.364/.503
Happy to pounder that Mench/Stairs will out OPS Thomas this year…. and it won’t be that close