Milwaukee Brewers: Rebuild with Slugger Eric Thames or Trade Him?
By Tim Boyle
Milwaukee Brewers fans are falling in love with slugging first baseman Eric Thames. As a true underdog, it’s not hard to root for him. The start has been a bright one, but will he be there throughout this rebuild?
Thames spent the last few seasons playing overseas in Korea. It was a necessary move as he never quite figured out MLB pitchers. The decision ultimately saved his career and has helped revitalize his career.
Over in Korea, Thames became a star. Several years of hitting 35+ home runs and 100+ RBI seasons helped get him back into MLB in 2017. As long as this early, hot start is no fluke, Thames is looking at a few more years in the big leagues.
As wonderful as it is to have a veteran slugger on the roster, Thames is not exactly young. He’s already 30, which means by the time Milwaukee’s best prospects are MLB proven, he may be past his best years.
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The Brewers were already in a position to sell at this year’s trade deadline. Their rebuild has been a slow one with notable players like Carlos Gomez, Khris Davis, and Jonathan Lucroy traded in the last few years. Outfielder Ryan Braun is the last remaining name expected to get dealt this year or possibly over the winter. With Thames’ power surge, the Brewers may have to reconsider the franchise’s direction.
Thames is on a very team-friendly contract. He’s making $4 million this year, $5 million next season, and another $6 million in 2019. His contract in 2020 is a player option worth $7.5 million. If he continues to hit the way he has early on in 2017, Thames would probably use the player option and hit free agency as it would be his last chance at a huge deal.
Braun’s contract would keep him in Milwaukee for the duration of Thames’ deal. He is locked up through 2020 with a mutual option for 2021. Of course, he is getting paid much more money and is a few years older than Thames. There is much more reason to trade him and not let Thames’ presence affect the team’s direction. However, if the current rebuild will still take several more seasons as it looks like it will, the wisest decision might be to get the most out of Thames before he loses value. This means trading the newly beloved first baseman.
No one should expect Milwaukee to let Thames depart until at least 2018. The affordability of his deal along with the talent he seems to have carried over from Korea is not worth throwing away for prospects. Plus, the Brewers already have enough minor league talent coming up where veteran bats like Thames are useful in a sea of kids.
For now, enjoy the ride Thames gives baseballs. There is plenty of time to start worrying about whether or not his best years were wasted on a lean Brewers team. A potential Braun trade may only be slightly influenced by how well Thames does.
Next: Nick Pivetta becoming an option
For the sake of Milwaukee, the Brewers better not move on too soon from anyone; Thames and Braun included.