Baseball Musings: The Hurt's Afoot!

January 25, 2006

The Hurt's Afoot!

The Athletics pick up a big slugger cheap, signing Frank Thomas to a one-year, $500,000 contract:

Thomas, a two-time American League MVP who has been slowed by injuries in recent years, can make an additional $2.6 million in bonuses based on plate appearances and not hurting his left foot. He played his first 16 seasons with the Chicago White Sox, who won their first World Series title since 1917 last season.

The low-budget A's have spent recent offseasons losing big-name players such as Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Johnny Damon, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder. But after missing the postseason for the second straight year following four consecutive trips to the playoffs, Oakland general manager Billy Beane has added Thomas and Milton Bradley to a lineup that struggled to score runs at times last season _ and done so without losing anyone of significance.

Thomas was deadly last season when he played, launching 12 home runs in just 105 at bats, while drawing 16 walks. He didn't hit much except for the home runs (in was a Rob Deer type season), but at $500,000, it's certainly worth the risk. The upside is that Thomas hits 30 homers with a .360 OBA. The downside is you pull someone out of the minors to be the DH.

Posted by David Pinto at 05:45 PM | Free Agents | TrackBack (0)

Comments

Great signing by the A's. I still believe Thomas can be a force, and for $500,000, that could be the best signing of the winter.

Posted by: dave (big lowitzki) at January 25, 2006 07:01 PM

Yeah, that's the best bargain in years.

Posted by: Adam Villani at January 25, 2006 07:49 PM

totally could be the best signing ofthe winter

Posted by: tony flynn at January 25, 2006 08:05 PM

THe A's wouldn't even have to pull someone out of the minors if he gets injured. Just shift Dan Johnson to DH, Swisher to 1B, and put Payton in RF.

Posted by: Greg at January 25, 2006 09:15 PM

I agree with the above comments. If they can keep both Bradley and Thomas in the lineup half the games, this will be a much improved lineup. They will likely be the top two hitters in a lineup that was already a reasonable lineup.

Posted by: Craig A. Damon at January 25, 2006 10:23 PM

I can't think of a player that suits a Billy Beane team more. I think he can still do the job. I just hope he will be better than he was last year.

Saw the Hurt up here in Ottawa when he came with the Charlotte Knights back in June. It was a packed house - about 800 people. I showed up 10 minutes before game time and got second row tickets behind the Knights dugout. Sad... Needless to say, I expect the Ottawa Lynx to not be here come 2007.

Posted by: AKM at January 25, 2006 10:27 PM

Where do you have Dan Johnson playing? Won't their outfield be Bradley, Kotsay, and Payton, with Swisher at first and Thomas on DH? Doesn't that make Johnson the odd man out?

Posted by: Adam Villani at January 26, 2006 12:14 AM

(it was a Rob Deer type season)
Man, I miss Rob Deer. My first game I saw in person he launched 2 HRs. Fielder and Tettleton also went deep. The Tigers in the early 90s didn't win much, but they were fun. I'm guessing Oakland will do much better than those '92 Tigers.

Posted by: mcmali at January 26, 2006 06:12 AM

The A's done good. All Thomas has to be is healthy, and he will mash. $500,000? That's cheap even by their standards. I hope he has a monster season.

Posted by: Dave S. at January 26, 2006 07:32 AM

Johnson is as good a hitter as Swisher or Payton. He'll get plenty of plate appearances.

Posted by: GEB4000 at January 26, 2006 07:35 AM

Great signing, even if he reaches the incentives and makes the extra $2.6M, it's still a bargain. But then again, so was Steve Finley last year...

I found Eric Chavez's comment interesting, he said they haven't had a RH bat like this since John Jaha in 1999. Didn't Miggy Tejada roam short and win an MVP once upon a time for the A's?

Posted by: Mike A. at January 26, 2006 11:32 AM

I wonder if moving to left coast had anything to do with balco?

just kinding the al west will a force this year.

Posted by: Colin at January 26, 2006 11:39 AM