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BP Annual Player Comments

Year		Comment
2012		Lefty-masher Marcus Thames has his limitations, but if healthy, would be cheap insurance in case Andruw Jones turns into a pumpkin.
2011		Thames, whom Brian Cashman threw away on the putrefying remains of Ruben Sierra back in 2003, was a terrific add for the Yankees. Not only did he do his traditionally fine work against southpaws (.300/.352/.454), but despite career rates of only .234/.291/.474 against right-handers coming into the season, he was actually quite playable against them, hitting .268/.347/.549. This came in handy when injuries forced him into more regular work than had been planned. The only hitch was that Thames had no instincts in the outfield. Anything in front of him is inevitably a hit, as he’d rather let the ball drop in than attempt to make a play. A free agent at this writing, Thames has value in a limited role, but in these days of pitching-dominated rosters, finding a team that has room for a part-time DH might be difficult.
2010		Thames is as one-dimensional a player as you'll find in the majors, and that dimension is the home run. After missing almost two months with a strained rib, Thames had two months to shine as the team's primary DH. That lasted until Carlos Guillen came off the DL and claimed the DH slot for himself. That reduced Thames' playing time, and he lost his stroke, failing to hit a home run in his last 29 appearances of the season (84 PAs). Thames is a free agent at this writing, one who still should have some appeal as part of a DH/pinch-hitting package (with five home runs in 55 career pinch-hit at-bats, he carries a .636 slugging percentage in the role) provided he can rediscover his one dimension.
2009		Once seen as merely a Quadruple-A player in the Yankees and Rangers systems, Thames has fashioned a career as a fourth outfielder and occasional starter thanks to his incredible power. Given 585 at-bats over the past two years, Thames has done the kind of things you'd expect from a borderline guy, with a sub-.300 OBP and 167 strikeouts, but he's also mashed 43 home runs. There's value there when used in the right spot—which for Thames is against fastball-reliant lefties—as pure 80 power on the 20-80 scouting scale is hard to find and almost always worth making room for.
2008		Thames has one skill: he hits lefties. In Jacque Jones, the Tigers have acquired a player who complements Thames perfectly by doing everything well except hit lefties. As a platoon, they could prove to be the most productive left fielder in the AL next year, save for Manny Ramirez. Thames has shown more patience in the past than he did last year, so that wretched OBP should climb in 2008.
2007		Though most of the work had been done in Toledo, Thames has been crushing the ball ever since joining the Tigers organization in 2004, so his major league `breakout` shouldn`t be considered too much of a surprise. Indeed, it`s now his uninspired performances of 2002 and 2003 that look like outliers, and those can perhaps be excused on account of his being with the Yankees, an organization that was never going to give him a chance. Thames really should be playing every day. The Tigers were uncomfortable trying him at first base in the heat of a pennant race, but that could change in 2007 after he`s had an offseason to prepare.
2006		A veteran minor league outfielder, Thames has reached the point where not only is he not learning anything new at Triple-A, he`s taking advantage of the pitchers who still do have things to learn. What that means is that his minor league translations are liable to run well ahead of any major league performance he gets from now on.
2005		He didn't outshine Cal Pickering, but as the other journeyman who finally slugged his way into the majors to stay, Thames did just fine. Thames isn't likely to have a long career—players who enter the stage late usually exit it early—but he's capable of putting together a couple of useful seasons in Motown, in a Bubba Trammell sort of way.
2003		In the Yankees’ organization, Thames is a prospect because of his 2001 season, his third in Norwich. Unfortunately, that’s the only year in the last four that he hit in. He’ll take a walk and he has decent power, and defensively, he’s got the arm for right and can fill in well enough anywhere. Considering his age, he could make a fine fifth outfielder on a team with plenty of left-handed power and an older slug in one of the corners.
2002		Thames exploded in his third go'round at Norwich, hitting .321/.410/.598 in 139 games. Even though he's not young, those are hard numbers to ignore. Scouts say that he's learned to turn on inside pitches and lay off breaking balls in the dirt. Thames needs a year of Triple-A to find out how much of what he learned will stay with him; 2001 definitely sticks out in his record.

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