Unfortunately I’m sure he’ll get claimed off of waivers at his current price by somebody before he clears and becomes a free agent.

My heart says “TAKE HIM BACK NOW!!!!”

My head says, “Where the hell would he fit on this team?”

I would root for him with a passion if he were to be the righthanded DH over Sweeney but this could be an indication of why the head is better than the heart at running a baseball team.

We all know that he has always been a slow starter and hot finisher but is this year different because of his age? I guess that the Blue jays already think they know.

during his season with the A’s. He didn’t really heat up until May. He also started slowly last season for the Jays. Cutting him in mid-April seems awfully quick. He’s struggling, but so are many good hitters this early in the season. You’d think the Jay’s would wait at least a month and a half.

...unless, asThomas charges, they are doing this in part to prevent his getting enough at bats to trigger his vesting option. the MLB trade rumors site is reporting that combinations of Stairs, Stewart, Barajas and/or Scutaro (!) are being considered as DH replacements for Thomas

If he clears waivers, and is picked up by somebody else, who is responsible for his option year?

I am wondering if anybody will pick him up given the money. I suspect that he will clear waviers given the money that he is due and will be due if he gets about 315 more PA this season with a vesting option for, what, $9mil in the 2009 season.

I thought that it was a bad contract when the Blue Jays gave it to him and it was just about having him around to hit 500 as a Blue Jay. I was annoyed because, if I recall correctly, the only teams offering him anything were us and Toronto. Toronto made a much greater offer than they had to and that blew away any chance that he was going to be an Athletic again…..

I remember that my Thomas 35 t-shirt jersey arrived the day he signed his contract with Toronto.

I believe that april is the only month of his career in which he has less than stellar numbers.

ok, I’ll stop.

so let’s get both!

Sweeney’s been ok, but Frank Thomas is Frank Thomas.

back Frank Thomas! I would love to see the Big Hurt back here in Oakland! Our team’s offense would be a lot more scary, backed up with out excellent pitching.

Athletics Nation start a Frank Thomas Movement! and Let Lew Wolffe know the fans want him!

It follows a clash between Thomas and manager John Gibbons in which Gibbons told Thomas he wouldn’t be playing every day and Thomas lashed back publicly – “Thomas did not shake hands with his teammates following Toronto’s 3-2 win over Detroit,” and told reporters, “My career isn’t going to end like this” (how will it end?).

Riccardi’s quote above shows he feels he needs to take the manager’s side and support him – hence the quick jettisoning of Thomas. Problem is, it’s not the first time Gibbons has had a similar conflict where it was “me or him” and so the player had to go (I think the last one was Shea Hillenbrand, so who knows how culpable Gibbons is there).

My take: Gibbons is a bad manager who can’t handle the 25 personalities of a major league team and admin keeps having to diffuse conflict by getting rid of players. Or else Toronto keeps signing prima donnas and having to get rid of them. But I suspect that isn’t it. I suspect it’s Gibbons’ style.

Well, that depends on your frame of reference…

On one hand, his career April OBP is .406 and his career April OPS is .916.

On the other hand, that .916 OPS his the lowest in any month. Which is to say that he has been an effing incredible hitter over the “larger than 60 AB” sample that is his career!

He’s limping badly on at least one leg. I like his leadership, but beyond that I’m not sure how helpful he can be.

“Jays cut, big hurt.”

And I was like, “well, duh”.

is no way to treat a veteran player like Thomas. He deserves better. Bring the Hurt back to Oakland. He’s Mike Sweeney with a few more K’s…

That doesn’t seem to be a good fit with all the platooning ideas being bandied about.

I loved having him on the A’s in 2006. At the time Toronto signed him many wanted him to stay an A, but the counter-argument was not the 2007 season, but always the 2nd and potential 3rd (triggered-option) year of the deal.

I can’t imagine we would get the 2006 Frank Thomas back for the 2008 season, comparably slow starts notwithstanding. At that time he was coming off a couple of years of rest and rehab for his knees; now he’s coming off two straight full(ish) seasons, one of which has been on astroturf.

The idea of Thomas’ return does kindle warm 2006 memories though – including Lily witnessing her first home run, a monster shot to left that enlivened an otherwise dismal losing cause (other memories of the game include Jay-Pay dogging it in right in out our “all-centerfielders” outfield) .

do we stand pat with the low two pair, or draw to the straight?

I loved Frank, I love Frank. But when given the chance to stick around, he split. Between the two I think the intangibles that Big Sweeney brings are more valuable to the team than Big Hurt. Good luck Frank.

for 2 years $18M with a $10m option

is a better option than Sweeney, and he has no baggage like Bonds. He was a good guy and helped our team greatly. Yes, he clogged the basepaths some but he was a positive anyhow and still would be IMO. I would feel sorry for sweeney because he really does seem to be a very professional ,team type player.

Barry Bonds unemployability to challenges that Frank Thomas might face trying to find a job…uh, I think not.

A jays fan perspective on the Thomas situation.

If the DRays pick up Big Hurt. (Orioles, Texas are other options) I would say Seattle, but they have a fascination with professional hitters, Ibanez/E. Martinez back in the day.

OK, here is the lineup that I just came up with which will include the signing of both Thomas and Bonds:

Buck CF
Barton 1B
Bonds LF
Thomas DH
Cust RF (versus righties)Brown RF (versus lefties)
Ellis 2B
Crosby SS
Haranrnanrnanranaannna 3B
Zook C

Of course, this would be great fun so long as A’s pitching averaged about 15 Ks and 10 ground balls to 2B or SS per game. It is at least fun to think about.

R. Sweeney and Denorfia would be used a lot as PRers and defensive subs. The days off that bonds and thomas would need would also help the playing time of both denorfia and Sweeney the younger.

...the A’s “may be close” to signing Thomas. I guess we shall see.