PLAYER: Jim Thome
TEAM: Twins
POSSIBLE DESTINATION(S): Phillies
CONTRACT STATUS: One-year, $3 million, FA in 2012
PROJECTED WAR: 1.0

Thome cannot play the field anymore. He joked that he left his glove in Chicago when the Dodgers acquired him from the White Sox for the 2009 stretch-run. At 40 years old he also is close to the end of his career. Having said that, he still can be productive, and last year he gave the Twins 340 PAs of his peak offensive production. Thome returning to the Phillies wouldn’t only be a great story (his big contract back in 2003 helped usher in the Citizens Bank Park era of Phillies baseball), but he’d legitimately help the team.

Whether he pinch-hits or he serves as the designated hitter in interleague games, Thome would give the Phillies another huge weapon at minimal cost, which is a key consideration given the team’s proximity to the luxury tax threshold. Since Thome and Kubel are the Twins’ only assets capable of generating a decent return, GM Bill Smith can’t afford to get greedy and ask for the world.

From the Phillies standpoint, Ross Gload is battling a severe hip injury that will either force him to play with pain or will end his season. What makes more sense for a championship contending team: 60% of a mediocre left-handed pinch-hitter, or 100% of one of the best left-handed hitters in major league history who can still mash? That answer is pretty clear. The move might be a long-shot, especially if Gload isn’t put on the disabled list, but it makes sense on several levels.

The B1G Piece wrote:Reading some various Nationals forums, they really hate us (as in the fans).

mozartpc27 wrote:Thome to the Phils is a nice idea, but a non-starter. Stairs, limited as he was, played in the field in 2008 and 2009 on a few occasions (4 games in 2008, 15 games in 2009). In the NL, I'm not sure you can carry a player who truly can't play the field, and if Thome cannot, the Phils would be better off going in another direction.

Also, I am guessing that Thome, a regular for almost his entire career, needs to get regular ABs in order to be effective. Stairs was used to pinch hitting when he was brought here.

Soren wrote:

The B1G Piece wrote:Reading some various Nationals forums, they really hate us (as in the fans).

2006-2008 Mets fans are to Phillies fans as Phillies fans are to Nats fans.

lethal wrote:I'm pretty sure Gload's roster spot is going to Victorino when he comes back. I can't see them sending Brown back down and JBerry and Francisco are the only right handed bats on the bench. The other option is Martinez and that leaves only Valdez to cover the 3 IF positions.

If you add Thome late in the season, right before Sept 1, as Trent suggests, maybe you can send a pitcher down for a week and recall them after Sept 1 since the postseason roster is going to have 1 fewer pitcher anyway. It'd be really awesome to have Thome as a LH DH for the WS if we get there though.

The B1G Piece wrote:Reading some various Nationals forums, they really hate us (as in the fans).

18. Jarred Cosart, RHP, Philadelphia: Back to 93-98 mph again with a knockout upper-70s curveball. He had a brief stretch where he looked mortal as the Phillies had him experimenting with a spike curveball, but once he junked that he was back to his old dominant self. Previous position: No. 34

21. Jonathan Singleton, LF, Philadelphia: Two things to note about Singleton. One is that the Phillies also made some tweaks with him, getting him to hit off his toes more and in the process slicing more than 150 points off his OPS, but he undid the adjustment about 10 days ago and is hitting again. The other is that his season line hides a big platoon split: he's just 6-for-43 against lefties but hitting .313/.400/.438 against right-handers. He's got great balance, a very good feel for the strike zone, and forces the pitcher to come to him rather than expanding the zone. He's only 19 and didn't play a full year last year, so we need more reps versus left-handed pitchers before the platoon split is a real concern. Previous position: No. 27

Trent Steele wrote:I wonder if the Worley demotion shows they intend to go with an extra position player and an 11 man staff for a while.

jerseyhoya wrote:Zagurski up for Worley