Five Teams That Could Potentially Trade for Eric Thames
One of the better stories around Major League Baseball right now is the Milwaukee Brewers’ Eric Thames. After such an incredible start at the plate, he could be a popular trade candidate come July.
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/outfielder Eric Thames has taken Major League Baseball by storm to start the season. So, who is he and where did he come from? Thames’ story is an interesting one. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 7th round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft and made his major league debut with Toronto in 2011.
The Blue Jays then traded him at the 2012 trade deadline to the Seattle Mariners, where he struggled mightily. When the 2012 season came to an end, so did Thames’ time on Seattle’s big league roster. After bouncing around the minor leagues for Seattle, Baltimore and Houston, Thames ultimately found himself out of the majors entirely in 2013.
Thames would then sign a deal with the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). Things began to pick up for Thames at this point, as the outfielder dominated the KBO. In three years with the NC Dinos, Thames slashed .349/.457/.721 with 124 home runs and 382 RBI.
This led to Thames being signed by the Milwaukee Brewers prior to the 2017 season, where his unheralded success has garnered widespread attention. Through 25 games, Thames is slashing an impressive .341/.463/.795 with 11 home runs and is currently sitting on a 214 wRC+.
Right now the Brewers are projected by Fangraphs to finish the season 74–88, just ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for second-to-last in the NL Central. It’s difficult to see the Brewers exceeding those expectations, and 2018 looks just as bleak. At 30 years old, Thames’ days of dominance could be well behind him by the time the Brewers are ready to contend. And really, it’s no guarantee it lasts for all of 2017. Thames could very well come back down to earth, but he could still prove to be a valuable asset at the plate.
This could make him an intriguing trade candidate when the deadline approaches in July. Here are five teams that could potentially make a move for Thames if the Brewers decide to trade him:
5. New York Mets
As the New York Mets seek to compete with the Washington Nationals in the NL East, one player stands out for the team, and not in a good way: Curtis Granderson. Granderson, 36, is currently slashing an embarrassing .124/.177/.213 with the Mets. It’s still early, but there are slow starts and then there’s Granderson’s slow start.
If Granderson’s game doesn’t see significant improvement in the months to come, the Mets will have no choice but to find a new everyday right fielder. Who better than Eric Thames? Thames has made the majority of his starts this season at first base, but he has more time logged in the outfield in his career.
For the past few years, the Mets have consistently been one of the most injury-plagued teams in the league. They’ll need to battle back if they want to be in the mix by the trade deadline. Adding Thames could give the team some extra pop where it might be missing.
4. New York Yankees
Another potential trade destination for Thames? Look no further than the other team in New York. (That’s right, I just called the Yankees “the other team in New York.”)
The New York Yankees have been one of the more surprising teams in the American League so far. After a full month of baseball, the Yankees look like a potential playoff contender. There are some question marks on this team right now, and Thames could help to alleviate some of that uncertainty.
When thinking of players Thames could potentially replace, Brett Gardner is the first name that comes to mind. Gardner, 33, has struggled badly to start the season. The veteran outfielder is slashing .208/.315/.325 with an 85 wRC+. It’s early in the season, but Yankees fans haven’t exactly been patient with Gardner in recent years, and if the team has an opportunity to make an offensive upgrade, they might take advantage.
The other potential candidates for replacement are first basemen Chris Carter and Greg Bird. Carter, who hit 41 home runs for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, is off to slow start in the Bronx. The 30-year-old has a slash line of .211/.244/.368 with just one home run. Bird is only 24 years old, but he’s had a hard time figuring things out at the plate to start his career. He has only managed six hits in 72 plate appearances to start the season, giving him a batting average of .100. If the Yankees are indeed for real by the time the trade deadline rolls around, look for the team to consider adding Thames in an attempt to make a bigger push for the postseason.
3. San Francisco Giants
The Madison Bumgarner injury has sort of overshadowed the other injuries this Giants team is currently dealing with. Jarrett Parker is on the 60-day DL, and there is still no timetable for Denard Span’s return.
This has left a lot to be desired out of the San Francisco outfield. Collectively, the Giants’ outfield has combined for a -1.8 WAR and has an average wRC+ of 29. Hunter Pence looks to be on track to have another productive season, but with Gorkys Hernandez and Drew Stubbs assuming the other two spots in the outfield, the Giants could use a boost.
Let’s also not forgot that the Giants are a team very much lacking power numbers. In 2016, San Francisco was one of the worst power-hitting teams in the league, finishing 28th in MLB with just 130 home runs. The Giants’ power department isn’t off to a promising start this year, either, with just 18 home runs on the season (29th in MLB).
Trading for Eric Thames could give San Francisco some much-needed pop as they attempt to keep their playoff hopes alive. It still seems too early to write off the Giants, but they’re facing a major uphill climb at the moment.
2. Pittsburgh Pirates
Losing star outfielder Starling Marte was a huge blow for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After being busted for PEDs, Marte was handed an 80-game suspension from Major League Baseball.
The absence of Marte, however, is not the primary reason why the Pirates could use a player like Eric Thames. After all, Marte will be back for the second half of the season. The Pirates simply need help offensively. As a team, they’ve slashed .237/.320/.380 with just 23 home runs. The team ranks 29th in RBI with 83 and 27th in runs scored with a paltry 93.
Pittsburgh just isn’t scoring and can’t seem to find any sort of offensive stability. Jose Osuna, who was called up in late April, has looked good in a small sample size, but it’s anyone’s guess as to how well he’ll be performing two months from now.
Thames could help to make Pittsburgh’s offense more consistent. Like many of the other teams on this list, it all comes down to how the Pirates are positioned by July. The Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers are both ahead of the Pirates right now, but that doesn’t look like it will last long. The Cubs have looked mediocre at best to start the season, and the St. Louis Cardinals are just starting to find their groove. This is a division very much up for grabs at the moment.
1. Toronto Blue Jays
Time for a reunion? Thames was drafted and brought up by the Toronto Blue Jays, and as fate would have it, they could really use his bat right now, five years after they traded him.
The Blue Jays are another team that has had a rough start to the season. Currently in last place, Toronto isn’t hitting or pitching well this season. But that could change. The Blue Jays have dug a fairly deep hole for themselves, but if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that the AL East is entirely unpredictable.
The Orioles look good right now, but they’ve shown us before that they’re prone to long cold streaks. The Yankees have looked impressive thus far, too, but it’s no guarantee their hot start will last. The Boston Red Sox have struggled at the plate, and another rotation injury could put a serious dent in their playoff hopes.
Basically, nothing is a sure thing in the AL East. If Josh Donaldson returns from the DL soon and the Blue Jays pick up steam, they could find themselves back in contention.
If that’s the case, they could stand to improve their offense. Jose Bautista has been dreadful this season. With a wRC+ of 76 and a .191/.322/.287 slash line, Bautista is showing his age (he turned 36 last October).
Justin Smoak has been mediocre at the plate, with an OBP of just .302, and Kendrys Morales hasn’t looked very good, either. So, realistically, Thames could see time as a DH, at first base, or as an outfielder for the Blue Jays. His versatility could make him a prime target for a Blue Jays team looking for improvements at multiple spots in their lineup.
