Eric

Thames

Thames logged six season in the majors between 2011 and 2020 and has one of the more remarkable career arcs in recent memory. He struggled for two seasons with the Blue Jays and Mariners before heading to the Korea Baseball Organization back in 2014 where he blasted 124 homers in three seasons before returning to the majors with the Brewers in 2017. He went on to hit 72 homers in three years before his career came to an abrupt end with the Nationals during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

Thames signed a minor league contract with the Athletics back in February and didn’t end up making an appearance for his hometown team. The 35-year-old veteran slugger was off to a slow start at Triple-A Las Vegas this season, hitting just .203/.300/.317 with three homers, 12 RBI and one stolen base across 140 plate appearances over 41 games.

Thames struggled at the dish in 11 Cactus League contests and won’t open the 2022 campaign as the Athletics’ primary first baseman. Neither will Dalton Kelly, who was also included among the latest cuts. There aren’t any other real surprises here as Oakland prepares to finalize its Opening Day roster.

The 35-year-old San Jose native last played in the majors in 2020 with the Nationals. Thames hit 25 home runs back in 2019 for the Brewers and may have a shot to crack Oakland’s Opening Day roster if the rumored fire sale is carried through. The veteran missed most of the 2021 season in Japan with a torn Achilles.

Drawing a start out of the DH spot, Thames ripped a double to right in the top of the first inning and then singled and scored on a sacrifice fly in the top of the third. The 35-year-old slugger signed a minor league contract with the A’s back in February and has a good shot of making a depleted Opening Day roster in Oakland.

The deal is said to be worth around $1.2 million. Thames, 34, batted just .203/.300/.317 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 41 games (140 plate appearances) this past summer for the Nationals and probably would have had to accept a non-guaranteed minor league contract if he wanted to remain in MLB-affiliated ball in 2021. The veteran slugger enjoyed tremendous success in the Korea Baseball Organization between 2014-2016, which netted him a three-year, $16 million pact from the Brewers ahead of the 2017 season.

Thames struggled to a .203/.300/.317 batting line in 41 games this past season with the Nationals, who then declined his $4 million option for 2021 late last month. But the 34-year-old slugger should do pretty well for himself this winter given all the avenues he’s open to for possible offers. Thames spent the 2014-2016 seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) before joining the Brewers ahead of the 2017 campaign.

He’s due a $1 million buyout instead. Thames finished the condensed 2020 regular season with a poor .203/.300/.317 batting line, tallying only three home runs and 12 RBI in 140 plate appearances.

It looked like Thames might have turned things around in the middle of last month, but he’s slumped again lately, going 3-for-25 in his last eight appearances. He’s hitting .195/.286/.310 overall. While the Brewers today admitted their mistake in signing Justin Smoak to take over at first base, it makes them look a little better that the options they cut loose, Thames and Travis Shaw, have been struggling, too.

He’ll get a breather after starting back-to-back games upon his return from a hamstring issue. Eric Thames will serve as the designated hitter and Asdrubal Cabrera will start at first base while Carter Kieboom plays third.