Brewers sign Eric Thames (3 years)

[MilwaukeeBeers]

Thames currently at 1.0 fWAR & 0.9 bWAR. If the price of a win on the free agent market is said to be right around 8 million dollars he is already halfway to "earning" his three year contract...two weeks into the first season.

Outstanding!

[FVBrewerFan]

Yeah, I think baseball reference has some bad info here. The JS Online article also lists the 7.5 million as a team option and jibes with monty with regards to Thames being a free agent after the contract expires...

 

The deal will pay Thames $4 million in 2017, $5 million in 2018 and $6 million in 2019, with a club option for 2020 at $7.5 million, with a $1 million buyout. The contract stipulates that Thames cannot be sent to the minors without his permission. The Brewers also agreed not to offer him salary arbitration after the contract expires, allowing Thames to become a free agent ahead of schedule.

 

 

Thanks Dale - that makes the deal even more terrific, if Thames is the real deal. Which we should be closer to knowing by mid-season, after the second time through the division and all the adjustments teams and Thames have made. That would give us an incredible 1B option through 2020, well into the contending years, I'd say.

 

I agree, need to wait to see how Thames adjusts once the league starts to develop a book on him. But I would also add, 2020 will not be well into the contending years- it will be just the beginning. I know, nobody wants to hear that.

[Point Beer Is Best]

I know I'm putting the cart WAY ahead of the horse here, but let's say we exercise the team option for 2020 and we reach the subsequent offseason where we technically reach the final year of arbitration eligibility but we are contractually forbidden to offer it. Can we decline arbitration but still offer him a QO in order to attempt to receive draft pick compensation in return? I don't know if a situation like that has ever happened before since it would be so unique and would likely only apply to international free agents.

[tmwiese55]

Somewhat feel the need for the classic "small sample" reminder. I mean we're 12 games in and we're talking about 4 years from now. I love everything we're seeing as much as you, but he's not going to hit 365. Let's pump the brakes and be a little realistic, if he finishes above 275/340 with 25+ homers I'll be happy. Let's just say if he'd hit 200/250 with 0 HR so far we'd all be saying, 'small sample give him time.' Works both ways.

[Madhawk23]

I haven't read through the previous 11 pages of this thread, so I do apologize if this has been brought up already.

 

In looking at Thames, it's very clear to see that this is one strong dude. My question is: was he this strong during his last stint in the Majors? Did he get big over in Korea, or has he always been this big?

 

I hate to ever speculate on PED's with any ballplayer, but after what we've been through over the past 20 years in MLB and what we as Brewer fans had to go through with the Braun fiasco - it just popped into my head over the weekend as I'm watching this huge man hit 5 bombs in a 4 game series.

 

Trust me - I don't want to have these thoughts go through my head, but I also don't want to deal with the news that any of our players have been suspended 50 games for any kind of drug use.

 

So, please someone - ease my mind on Thames and tell me that he's just always been an extremely large human being!

[MrTPlush]

I know I'm putting the cart WAY ahead of the horse here, but let's say we exercise the team option for 2020 and we reach the subsequent offseason where we technically reach the final year of arbitration eligibility but we are contractually forbidden to offer it. Can we decline arbitration but still offer him a QO in order to attempt to receive draft pick compensation in return? I don't know if a situation like that has ever happened before since it would be so unique and would likely only apply to international free agents.

 

Yes, but considering his high age at that point and how high the QO would be I doubt it would be worth it.

[MrTPlush]

So, please someone - ease my mind on Thames and tell me that he's just always been an extremely large human being!

 

I mean if he got that big using steroids it would be some serious stuff. I am not sure with the current testing he could hide such a thing as I am pretty sure they do HGH testing now. I know what you are saying, but we won't know unless he gets caught.

[Madhawk23]

I decided to answer my own question somewhat and looked up some older images of Thames when he was with the Mariners and Jays. He definitely seemed to be pretty jacked back in those days as well, so at least there wasn't some sudden change in physique from his first stint to his second. Doesn't mean that he hasn't taken stuff in past years, but we could say that about any big league player - until they get caught (if they get caught).

[bork]

In looking at Thames, it's very clear to see that this is one strong dude. My question is: was he this strong during his last stint in the Majors? Did he get big over in Korea, or has he always been this big?

 

Poster from Seattle days:

http://imagecache5d.allposters.com/watermarker/68-6835-ENEY100Z.jpg?ch=632&cw=948

[tmwiese55]

this has popped in my head too. That pic eases some concerns of course. But do they do any legit testing overseas?

[MrTPlush]

this has popped in my head too. That pic eases some concerns of course. But do they do any legit testing overseas?

 

Last I checked KBO does test for banned substances. Not sure if they started HGH testing yet.

[3and2Fastball]

Of course as snake bit Brewers fans we are waiting for the other shoe to drop: maybe it is PED's, maybe he won't stay healthy, maybe it is just a small sample and he'll be a bust

 

or maybe, just maybe, he's the real deal

[sveumrules]

No doubt it's a small sample, but it is encouraging nonetheless.

 

When the projections came out lots of people thought they were optimistic to the point of representing a best case scenario instead of a median baseline. I think what Thames has accomplished thus far makes it much more plausible that the computers & the Brewers scouts saw something that those who were only focused on his failures from four plus years ago missed.

 

Do I think Thames will finish the year with a 258 wRC+ & a single season ISO record? Of course not. Do I think he could realistically post a 120ish wRC+ and surpass 2.0 WAR for the season? Sure.

[FVBrewerFan]

Of course as snake bit Brewers fans we are waiting for the other shoe to drop: maybe it is PED's, maybe he won't stay healthy, maybe it is just a small sample and he'll be a bust

 

or maybe, just maybe, he's the real deal

 

Same thing every other MLB team is waiting to find out. Hopefully he is the real deal, and swing a trade for equivalent of Hader/Diaz

[SandyTolan]

Or, since they have him for four years, maybe they don't trade him.

[monty57]

Or, since they have him for four years, maybe they don't trade him.

 

Yeah, dude's hitting like Albert Pujols. It's a long season and we're only a couple of weeks in, but if he has an All Star season this year and Braun isn't traded, then we should have an above average offense with a strong farm and a lot of free cash to spend.

 

In that scenario, there's no reason to think about trading him away. Maybe when he's got a year left on his contract, but not after year one.

[LouisEly]

I was going to say this the other day after watching highlights of the Reds series, and it is apparent after that double, that he has an incredibly quick bat. I thought he was going to take that pitch by Lester... and he got around on it to pull a double to the RF corner. I don't know that I've ever seen a pitch get that deep on a batter and the batter still pulls it to the corner.

 

He can sit back and wait on a pitch for a long time and get a good read on it. That's an impressive skill to have.

[dacrew101]

These projections seem to me to be wildly optimistic. Career in MLB: 21 HRs in 633 at bats. OBP=.296. Career OPS=.727---Scooter Gennett .738. Maybe he's better now but I doubt it.

 

how much you wanna Bet he hits those projects

 

[Dragonbait]

Anyone know how well his Bewers jersey is selling in Korea? lol

[superfly]

FREE ERIC THAMES

[folly412]

Anyone know how well his Bewers jersey is selling in Korea? lol

 

Or where hipsters can buy his Korean jersey to wear to the game?

[Ennder]

On Intentional Talk today he mentioned he didn't wear his golden Korean pads because he thought everyone would drill him at 95 MPH in the ribs for doing it. Thought that was funny.

[markedman5]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2017/04/18/eric-thames-brewers-korea-god-home-runs/100592868/

[RobDeer 45]

Well this guy has been fun to watch so far. I have to think that pitchers will catch up to him soon and he'll go on a slump. Question is can he get out of it or not?

[pacopete4]

“I came to Milwaukee before I signed, checked it out, and after an hour I knew it was where I wanted to be. I love the Midwest. I love the hospitality of people. And Milwaukee has great beer.

 

“I love beer.’’ -Eric Thames

 

Might be the greatest quote you could have to Milwaukee fans. Just build his statue now.