The Big Hurt - Yay or Nay?

First reaction to this?
How about huh? Seems a bit out of character for J.P. Ricciardi to go after a plodding 38-year-old bopper coming off a rebound season that followed two years of big hurts.
But this is DH'ing we're talking about. Take care of your body, four or five ABs a night, a veritable rocking chair - so goes the theory, anyway.

TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

Winfield: The elderest Jays DH.

Frank Thomas will be 39 years old in May. Would that make him the oldest Blue Jays designated hitter? No - not yet, anyway. Using the Jays' all-time roster and baseball-reference.com, here's a list of the oldest Jays DH's, and how they managed (one omission, Dave Parker, came here at age 40 in '91 but really didn't play all that much, so I've left him off - anyone else I've missed, let me know):

Ron Fairly (39 in 1977) ... Played 58 games at DH, and a few more than that at 1B and OF. Batted .279 with 19 home runs, .465 slugging percentage.

Paul Molitor (38 in 1995) ...  Still had three years left in the tank after this season, when he batted an ordinary (for him) .270 and slumped to a .350 OBP.

Al Oliver (38 in 1985) ...  A valuable pickup in the middle of the Jays' first division-winning season, he batted .251 in his final big-league season.

Rico Carty (39 in 1979) ... He actually turned 40 at the end of this final big-league season, hit 12 HRs on a Jays team filled with kids.

Cliff Johnson (39 in 1986) ... Charles Oakley always reminded me of an NBA version of this guy. Had some good years here; 15 HRs and .250 BA.

Dave Winfield (40 in 1992) ... Slugged .491, drove in over 100 runs - the erstwhile Mr. May/seagull killer turned 41 in October, a few weeks before the Jays' first (and his only) World Series title. Pretty good pickup, no?

UPDATE: Report: Jays may have Barajas interest (TSN.ca)

Comments

[Tim Brown]

What a mistake to sign this one dimensional, over-the-hill, overweight, plodder to a multi-year contract. Even a one year contract would be a waste of Ted Rogers' money. If you've been given 10 million dollars a year to spend on aquiring a player, how about trying to find another arm for that understaffed bullpen? Another question... who else does J.P. scout besides the Oakland A's? There are other teams out there besides Oakland J.P. and you don't work for them anymore.

[Steven Dykstra]

There is a huge risk/reward potential. Obviously, when he’s healthy, he can still turn on the ball with the best of them, so the Jays would be getting a bargain if Frankie hits like last year. Here are some other things, however, that make you wonder about giving this guy a reported $20 million.
According to Baseball-reference.com, in the history of baseball only ten 39 years olds have played at least 151 games in the season in which they turned 39. Simply put, the older you are, the more injury-prone. It’s difficult to produce if you’re not in the lineup, as Frankie proved in 2004 and 2005. Only five 39-year-olds have hit 30 or more home runs. Only five 39-year-olds have driven in 100 or more runs. Frank hit 39 jacks and drove in 114 last year in 137 games. But, baseball history and the Big Hurt’s own personal history of injury says that Jays fans who are expecting that kind of production next season, will most likely be disappointed.
If we get 125 games, 25 homers and 90 ribbies out of him next year, that would be excellent. The best we can really hope for is that when he’s in the lineup he’s productive and when he’s out somebody picks up the slack. Nothing would be worse than the Big Hurt playing through those age-related nagging injuries that aren’t enough to keep him out of the lineup, but serious enough to affect his production. There’s going to be a lot of pressure to jam him into the lineup as long as he can physically walk to the plate. It would be a shame to keep a healthy, productive younger player on the bench, while forcing Frankie to play unproductively through nagging injuries, just to justify his salary. I suspect that’s what will happen.

[Dino B]

I'm starting to wonder if this opens up the possibility of trading Vernon Wells. You can now trade Wells, move Rios to centre and you don't lose too much production in your offence with the big hurt in your lineup.
If they're not trading Wells, I don't see how the numbers will add up. How can you still sign a quality starter, a catcher and another infielder?? 90 million will only go so far and if you just paid Thomas 10 million, what do you think it will cost to sign a young, healthy, at the prime of his career, all-star Vernon Wells?
Exactly! See ya Vernon.

[Gary M. Mugford]

Stealing from James Carville, it's easy to say, "It's the pitching, stupid!" Would that JP would hear that! And even if JP hasn't twigged to the reality that winning is all about pitching, he SHOULD know that Adam Lind isn't an outfielder. He's a DH. He's Rondell White with a younger body. But signing Thomas means one of the two JP draft choices that have panned out (Hill being the other), is stuck being a defensive liability or in the minors. Had Thomas signed for a single year at $12M, you could live with the deal, saying Lind needed the extra season at AAA. But multi-years for Thomas is ludicrous given his health record. You'd think JP would have learned that an oft-injured player doesn't become immune to injury just by tugging on a Toronto top.

Looking back at JP's drafting record through his first four years, he obviously doesn't get it. He doesn't draft well, shows a knack for acquiring soon-to-be-injured and/or fringe pitchers and only has a nose for spare part players who do well in limited playing time. Oh, yeah, he BS's with the best in history. Even the Star today ran stories with Wells and Lilly oohing and aahing over the impending signing. Think either will be here when Thomas finally retires? Thought not.

[kam]

Huge mistake, even if he hits for the numbers similar to last year, there is no point since pitching wins games. and $10 million is a bit too much to spend on Thomas, he should have been worth around the $4-6 million mark. Jays would be better off to get Lilly for that same amount of money 4 years-$32 million. heck even Mulder would have been a better option even though he is coming off surgery.so was A.J. Let's just hope the make it to the play-offs and prove us all wrong

[brian]

If riccardi signs this guy then they should not give him more money to sign players. This is a total waste of good money, give your head a shake.

[josh]

this move is VERY puzzling?! wells-glaus-overbay proved to be a capable 3-4-5 driving in 300+, so why spend $10m+ on another power bat, especially one that can't play the field and most likely won't be able to stand up to the rigors of a 162 game season? the previous posts are very correct. adam lind has mashed at every level, so why not give the kid a chance to dh (we all noticed he can't field either)? j.p. better hope hes got something left in that treasure chest for a #3 starter, and no one is more perfect for that spot than its current owner, ted lilly. i'm assuming many of us would prefer to have seen lilly and catalanotto resigned then the addition of the big hurt. this one WILL hurt.

[Richard Y.]

High risk, high reward indeed.
Maybe for $5-million plus incentives, but not for $20-m over two years. That money would be better spent on Vernon Wells and a more cost-efficient DH who would maybe produce 25-30 homers in a season.
If Thomas pans out, then this would be a brilliant signing. However, I just don't see this panning out. He has a long history of nagging injuries and one has to wonder if he'll have the same desire at $10-million per season that he did at $500,000.
Pitching, anyone?

[Barb]

Our offense has been quite good the last couple of years. What we have been lacking is pitching. Ultimately it is pitching that is the name of the game; so use this money for pitchers not a slugger who may be over the hill.

[GEORGE OAKES]

WHY? THIS MAY BE J.P.'S BIG MISTAKE. WHY SPEND $10M ON A 38 YEAR OLD WHO COULD BREAK DOWN AT ANY TIME. I THOUGHT WE HAD OTHER MORE IMPORTANT PRIORITIES LIKE SIGNING VERNON WELLS, GETTING A MIDDLE INFIELDER AND PITCHER.
DON'T DO IT J.P.