Frank Thomas Released: Fantasy Impact 4/20

Frank Thomas Released

After a very public spat with management over his benching, the Toronto Blue Jays have taken the initiative and released slugger Frank Thomas. Thomas was angered over his benching because he believed the Blue Jays did not want him to accumulate the 304 at bats it would have taken for his 2009 $10million dollar option to kick in. One of Thomas's biggest downfalls as a major league player is his griping about his contract situation, he was famous for it in Chicago and it has bitten him here again in Toronto. He is a sure fire Hall of Famer, it's just too bad incidences like this over shadow some of his great accomplishments.

Fantasy Impact

Good news for you Matt Stairs owner out there. It looks like he will get the majority of at bats in Thomas's absence, although Toronto could also opt to bring Adam Lind up the minor leagues. Lind is one of Toronto's best hitting prospects and has some major league experience from the previous two seasons. We like Lind's upside a lot and he is a definite option to keep an eye on in deeper leagues where you need some offense.

Frank Thomas will wind up playing somewhere else on a team in need of a right handed DH type. Teams like Seattle, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, or even Minnesota could be a good fit for him. These teams are all purely speculation on our part, but they do make sense. Thomas doesn't hit for average any more, but he still has a plenty of pop in his bat. He hasn't hit too well so fat shit season, but he will get it going, as the weather warms and he rounds that big swing into shape. he can draw a walk and hit 25HR. Stash him on your bench if you own him, he won't be unemployed for too much longer.