McCarroll21
10-22-2007, 07:21 AM
What Does the Future Hold For Scott Thorman?
By: Josh McCarroll (http://www.braves-nation.com/forums/member.php?u=1) | Braves-Nation.com
Last winter, when the Braves were desperately trying to bolster their bullpen, they felt comfortable trading Adam LaRoche in exchange for, the then Pirates closer, Mike Gonzalez. They were able to pull the trigger on such a trade because the front office was comfortable moving into the Scott Thorman era at first base.
In 2006, Thorman had made it clear that he had nothing left to prove in the minor leagues by batting .298/.360/.508 over 81 games at Triple-A Richmond. His .868 OPS made the International League's League OPS of .716 look rather miniscule. By the middle of the season, Thorman had proven that his offensive production was ready for the next level. He breezed through each level of the minor leagues, finishing his career as a .276/.340/.452 hitter. The only thing that had proven to stop the production of Scott Thorman was an injury that caused him to miss all of the 2001 season.
When looking over the minor league numbers, Scott Thorman had proven himself every much as ready as Adam LaRoche was at the time of LaRoche's rookie season. LaRoche, a .287/.353/.447 minor league hitter, had recently turned in a second half of 2006 that many felt he would not be capable of matching. When the offers for LaRoche started rolling in, the Braves had to jump at the chance of bolstering their bullpen when they had a very comparable hitter primed to step in at first base.
The Braves made the trade of LaRoche feeling confident that a platoon of Scott Thorman and Craig Wilson would give them the production they needed at first base. I'm not sure of many, who at the time could have been so sure that it wouldn't.
After the first base platoon, and any attempts at salvaging success out of the position fell flat on their face, the Braves pulled off a deadline deal to acquire Mark Teixeira from the Texas Rangers. Teixeira's arrival brought immediate dividends to the Braves first base production, but it had an adverse effect on Scott Thorman.
After the trade, Thorman appeared in just 34 games for the Braves, with his only start coming on the final day of the season. With no options remaining, the Braves couldn't send him to the minor leagues, so he basically became a waste of a roster spot with no logical solution in sight.
Next year will present Thorman with the same situation. If he is still with the Braves, he will be relegated to the bench without much playing time in sight and no way to return to the minor leagues. With Teixeira set to be the team's first baseman in 2008, Thorman's only hope for playing time would be sharing left field with Matt Diaz and coming off the bench as a pinch hitter. At this time, if the Braves are going to go with another platoon in left field, it will likely be with Brandon Jones sharing time with Diaz, not Thorman. Thorman isn't expected to get many opportunities to spot start at first base as Teixeira isn't known to require many off days.
I think that the best move for both parties would be to look into trading Scott Thorman to a team that could give him the proper playing time. Thorman is a talented player, but currently has no place to play with the Braves. Having no remaining options and not adapt in the art of pinch hitting, Thorman's place on the roster would essentially result in a wasted spot.
When you think that in the 55 games the Braves played in August and September, Thorman started just one game and totaled just 33 at bats, it's clear that playing time is not in his future. His next chance to have an every day job in Atlanta will be 2009, but even that is not a guarantee as the Braves will surely try to re-sign Teixeira to a long-term deal.
Thorman's career stats show that every time he is given the chance to repeat a level, his statistical line will improve dramatically. To me, this means that the book on Thorman's career hasn't come to an abrupt end, he just needs an opportunity to show what he can do. He needs a place that he could play close to every day and the confidence to know that he will not be benched if he has a bad couple of games.
The problem with this is that to trade Thorman, the Braves have to realize that they will not get the same value in return that they may have gotten in previous off-seasons. Teams know that the Braves have Teixeira and that Thorman is out of options. This piece of information gives opposing teams more power in negotiations.
The best bet: Package Thorman in a trade to a team with a deficiency at first base that doesn't have much chance for the playoffs. Teams like Rangers, Marlins, Royals, Giants, Blue Jays and Mariners come to mind. Seeing the Royals on any list of teams that could be in the running for Thorman immediately causes the wheels to turn in one's head. Knowing the history of Dayton Moore and his attachment to Braves prospects, could Thorman be included in a deal to fetch us a center fielder? David DeJesus would be a good fit for the Braves in 2008 (http://www.braves-nation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=140987#post140987). The Mariners? Remember Wladimir Balentien? (http://www.braves-nation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7162) The Giants have a bevy of young pitching that they could look at trading, as well.
Scott Thorman is one of my favorite players on the Braves team. He plays the game the way it is meant to be played; always hustling, always giving his team everything he has left in the tank. The problem is that without a place to play, it will only hinder his development as a player and will eventually close the book on his career. To allow Thorman to have chance to have a career in the major leagues and establish himself as a major leaguer, the Braves have to trade him.
By: Josh McCarroll (http://www.braves-nation.com/forums/member.php?u=1) | Braves-Nation.com
Last winter, when the Braves were desperately trying to bolster their bullpen, they felt comfortable trading Adam LaRoche in exchange for, the then Pirates closer, Mike Gonzalez. They were able to pull the trigger on such a trade because the front office was comfortable moving into the Scott Thorman era at first base.
In 2006, Thorman had made it clear that he had nothing left to prove in the minor leagues by batting .298/.360/.508 over 81 games at Triple-A Richmond. His .868 OPS made the International League's League OPS of .716 look rather miniscule. By the middle of the season, Thorman had proven that his offensive production was ready for the next level. He breezed through each level of the minor leagues, finishing his career as a .276/.340/.452 hitter. The only thing that had proven to stop the production of Scott Thorman was an injury that caused him to miss all of the 2001 season.
When looking over the minor league numbers, Scott Thorman had proven himself every much as ready as Adam LaRoche was at the time of LaRoche's rookie season. LaRoche, a .287/.353/.447 minor league hitter, had recently turned in a second half of 2006 that many felt he would not be capable of matching. When the offers for LaRoche started rolling in, the Braves had to jump at the chance of bolstering their bullpen when they had a very comparable hitter primed to step in at first base.
The Braves made the trade of LaRoche feeling confident that a platoon of Scott Thorman and Craig Wilson would give them the production they needed at first base. I'm not sure of many, who at the time could have been so sure that it wouldn't.
After the first base platoon, and any attempts at salvaging success out of the position fell flat on their face, the Braves pulled off a deadline deal to acquire Mark Teixeira from the Texas Rangers. Teixeira's arrival brought immediate dividends to the Braves first base production, but it had an adverse effect on Scott Thorman.
After the trade, Thorman appeared in just 34 games for the Braves, with his only start coming on the final day of the season. With no options remaining, the Braves couldn't send him to the minor leagues, so he basically became a waste of a roster spot with no logical solution in sight.
Next year will present Thorman with the same situation. If he is still with the Braves, he will be relegated to the bench without much playing time in sight and no way to return to the minor leagues. With Teixeira set to be the team's first baseman in 2008, Thorman's only hope for playing time would be sharing left field with Matt Diaz and coming off the bench as a pinch hitter. At this time, if the Braves are going to go with another platoon in left field, it will likely be with Brandon Jones sharing time with Diaz, not Thorman. Thorman isn't expected to get many opportunities to spot start at first base as Teixeira isn't known to require many off days.
I think that the best move for both parties would be to look into trading Scott Thorman to a team that could give him the proper playing time. Thorman is a talented player, but currently has no place to play with the Braves. Having no remaining options and not adapt in the art of pinch hitting, Thorman's place on the roster would essentially result in a wasted spot.
When you think that in the 55 games the Braves played in August and September, Thorman started just one game and totaled just 33 at bats, it's clear that playing time is not in his future. His next chance to have an every day job in Atlanta will be 2009, but even that is not a guarantee as the Braves will surely try to re-sign Teixeira to a long-term deal.
Thorman's career stats show that every time he is given the chance to repeat a level, his statistical line will improve dramatically. To me, this means that the book on Thorman's career hasn't come to an abrupt end, he just needs an opportunity to show what he can do. He needs a place that he could play close to every day and the confidence to know that he will not be benched if he has a bad couple of games.
The problem with this is that to trade Thorman, the Braves have to realize that they will not get the same value in return that they may have gotten in previous off-seasons. Teams know that the Braves have Teixeira and that Thorman is out of options. This piece of information gives opposing teams more power in negotiations.
The best bet: Package Thorman in a trade to a team with a deficiency at first base that doesn't have much chance for the playoffs. Teams like Rangers, Marlins, Royals, Giants, Blue Jays and Mariners come to mind. Seeing the Royals on any list of teams that could be in the running for Thorman immediately causes the wheels to turn in one's head. Knowing the history of Dayton Moore and his attachment to Braves prospects, could Thorman be included in a deal to fetch us a center fielder? David DeJesus would be a good fit for the Braves in 2008 (http://www.braves-nation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=140987#post140987). The Mariners? Remember Wladimir Balentien? (http://www.braves-nation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7162) The Giants have a bevy of young pitching that they could look at trading, as well.
Scott Thorman is one of my favorite players on the Braves team. He plays the game the way it is meant to be played; always hustling, always giving his team everything he has left in the tank. The problem is that without a place to play, it will only hinder his development as a player and will eventually close the book on his career. To allow Thorman to have chance to have a career in the major leagues and establish himself as a major leaguer, the Braves have to trade him.