Jays Release Frank Thomas
Posted on April 20th, 2008 by Old Navy King
According to Jordan Bastian at MLB.com, the Toronto Blue Jays have released Frank 
Thomas, one day after the designated hitter voiced his displeasure over a decrease in playing time. The 39-year old was hitting a paltry .167 with 3 homers and 11 RBI, through 16 games.
Under the terms of the Big Hurt’s contract with the organization, he has a vesting option worth $10 million for 2009, provided he gets at least 304 plate appearances (he needed 1,000 in total over life of 2-year deal with Jays). Thomas felt, and maybe rightfully so, that the team was trying to avoid paying him that $10 million in guaranteed money for next sesaon. The Jays are still on the hook for Thomas’ roughly $9 million salary for 2008.
Filed under: Toronto Blue Jays
He isn’t the same Big Hurt that he used to be. Hell, he’s not even the same player he was last year when he led the Jays in many offensive categories.
This isn’t his usual slow start. He’s slowing down.
It has been reported that the Blue Jays are on the hook for all of the eighteen million due Thomas in 2008-2009.
If true, it would be a massive fleece.
he started off very slowly last year too.
Speaking of aging and slumping sluggers, there’s some buzz picking up that Carlos Delgado’s days as a Met may be numbered. They’d be on the hook for a good portion of his salary (although the Marlins would pick some up), but a contending team just can’t a afford to have a singles hitter with a bad contact rate, base to base speed, and poor defense. Apparently the front office feels he’s done the job he was brought in to do (get Carlos Beltran’s head right and make the Mets contender’s in 2006). Its a shame for him. A solid 07-08 might have gotten him into the HOF.
The good news for the Mets is there’s a surprising amount of prospect depth at the corner INF positions emerging, specifically in Binghamton. Most notable is Mike Carp, who was snubbed from big league camp this spring and apparently has taken it as a challenge. Almost as impressive though are Nick Evans and Daniel Murphy. All three are 22 or younger and currently playing for the B-Mets and through exactly 65 ABs apiece have posted OPSes over 1.000. Carp in particular has just been ridiculous, with a 1.255 OPS so far.
The dilemna is that once the DH gets removed from Eastern League play, its going to be tough to keep getting ABs for all three. Evans and Murphy both have some experience at third, and there’s talk of shifting Carp around in LF occasionally (his defense is less that spectacular). Michel Abreu represents something of a veteran option for the Mets, but he’s currently got 1B clogged up in AAA.
My guess is that if Delgado’s at something like .220 / .320 / .375 as we approach the all-star break and he’s still healthy, the Mets may opt for a look at Abreu and move one of the guys from the B-Mets to New Orleans. If Abreu doesn’t look like anything special and the guy that gets bumped to NO keeps tearing it up, he may get to be the everday 1B gig before September.