Frank Thomas Contract

by Eggman on Oct 5, 2006 11:00 PM PDT Comment 11 comments

Buster Olney on ESPN says Frank has been offered a 2 year deal worth $6 million, up to $8 with incentives. It's on the baseball page of espn.com. I can't seem to link to it now.

Can we really get him for that price? If so, I love the deal. AN, what thinkest ye?

PS. I'll see you all in 14 hours and 5 minutes.

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:cough:

http://www.athleticsnation.com/story/2006/10/5/202912/547

by chri5 on Oct 5, 2006 11:07 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Not sure what that sounds like, but I must have missed this post. In fact I can't find it on the front page, it must have already tailed off. Oh well, if we get DO end up getting Frank for that price, it bears repeating.

by Eggman on Oct 5, 2006 11:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Absolutely.

Frank's had an excellent year, no doubt about it, but that's the only card he has to play in contract negotiations. The rest of the deck is stacked against him. The injury history and his age aren't even the real problem (from his viewpoint) in hammering out a deal. Even the fact that he clearly wants to come back to Oakland next year isn't what will keep his price down. The problem is that there's almost no teams in baseball that are a good fit for him.

First, obviously he's a DH at this point. The National League is not a real option. Second, at this point in his career he doesn't have time to waste playing for teams that won't contend. This basically eliminates Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Kansas City, Seattle and Texas. Toronto and Minnesota are out because they play in domes. Ortiz, Giambi, Hafner and Thome mean that Boston, New York, Cleveland and Chicago aren't in the market for a DH either, and Marcus Thames is an above-average designated hitter/4th OF who's going to be making the league minimum the next two years in Detroit.

Who does this leave? The A's and the Angels. Enter another hitter in the twilight of his career who is clearly better off playing DH. And oh look, he just happens to live in LA...(they're welcome to him).

So yeah, Frank's price is going to be that low. $3-4M a year is too expensive for a pinch-hitter or platoon player, (not that he'd want either job,) and of all the teams that would have room for him and be able to best utilize him, only the A's are likely to be a contending team in the next two years.

And should we do it? Hell yes. If we get another season like we just got, it's a bargain. If we get two, it's a steal.

by Nate on Oct 5, 2006 11:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Great Analysis

I just hope the A's don't jerk with Big Frank. If he feels he's getting jerked with, he'll go to another team (probably the Angels).

As for not going to a dome team, I don't buy it. Toronto and Minnesota will definitely be in contact with Frank's Agent, and that's not a good thing.

Anyway we get this done before end of postseason???

COME ON, OAKLAND, COME ON!

by Colorado Fan on Oct 6, 2006 7:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

Your analysis is dead on. This is a dream situation for the A's, a great hitter that really doesn't have very many options. I've been running over the possible teams in my heads for months, and have written it down a few times to confirm it. The reality is this: unless Thomas wants to go play on artifical turf (Minnesota and Toronto would both be good fits if not for their surface) or for a non-contender, the A's and Angels are his only hopes.

Please let 2006 be the year, and without an earthquake this time.

by BlameChannel53 on Oct 6, 2006 8:17 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

from sfgate.com

Thomas gets offer: The A's have made a two-year contract proposal to designated hitter Frank Thomas, according to a team source. The deal could be worth up to $15 million with incentives, which are not a large percentage of the offer.

Thomas said a report out of Minnesota that he is looking for a three-year deal is inaccurate; he would accept a two-year offer. Thomas, whose 2006 contract was heavily incentive-laden ($2.6 million of the $3.1 million he'll receive), would not discuss specific dollar figures. Most of the league's top sluggers are making $10 million or more.

by sf drift king on Oct 6, 2006 12:11 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

2- yr 15 mil plus incentives.

I think that's perfectly reasonable.

by sf drift king on Oct 6, 2006 12:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Umm

Is that $15 mil/yr or 15 mil/2 yr? I think he's probably worth $7.5mil/year but I can't imagine paying twice that for him.

by limecat on Oct 6, 2006 1:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

15 mil for two tears is what he deserves.

I mean, HECK, the WS share for a team is 13-15 mil!!!

Just get us there BIG FRANK and it will be like playing with the house's money for two years!!!

"I think we just feel that now is our time." - Nick Swisher

by saint on Oct 6, 2006 7:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

sure, BUT

that ankle is still a major concern. even though he made it through the season healthy (and i think it'll be stronger next year), we do not have much leeway to play around w/ money on our budget. if frank does get injured during the contract, it could kill us if he's getting paid a lot. and he is going to be an injury risk until the day he retires. so, i think we guarantee him a decent amount (a few million per) and make plate appearance incentives to get it up to $6 or $7 m. if he's healthy enough to get a bunch of ABs, he'll hit fine and will be worth that money (and more). we obviously have to give him more of a base than this year's bargain ($500K), as well as 2 years, but we have to be a little cautious, too.

"welcome to ME, motherf*^*er!" - tim hudson

by guy incognito on Oct 6, 2006 8:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why it shouldn't be much higher than $3-4m/yr

He's useless to NL teams. That takes half his options off the table.
He's a base-clogger, something that you'd have to think, despite his pluses, would keep any 'small ball' team away. So let's take /13 of the AL teams out of the picture.
NY Yankees? Nowhere to put Frank. Red Sox? They already have Papi and Manny - they don't have room for him. So the big money teams are out of the picture.
Blue Jays? No way he'll play on concrete. Twins? Ditto. White Sox? No way he'll play for idiots. Not again, anyway.

So where would he go? Texas? Anaslime? Seattle? the one place I could see him be brutal is Colorado, but they have that whole 'Christ is our manager' thing going on, which isn't talked about much, but does keep some players away.

I tend to think the interest, while there for the four aforementioned clubs, wouldn't be high. Not high enough to draw $5m/yr plus.

So, in closing, if we offer him more than $4m/yr, we're overpaying. He's worth it, but we don't need to spend it.

In fact, I'd rather see us offer him $4m/yr for three years than $5-7m/yr for two.

"It's time to blow this team up." - Oaktoon, July 2006

by Ozzz on Oct 6, 2006 4:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs