Frank Thomas back with the A's

[Schwa.]

The Oakland Athletics agreed to terms with free agent designated hitter Frank Thomas on Thursday.

To clear a spot for Thomas on the roster, the A's placed outfielder Travis Buck on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 19 with shin splints. To clear a spot for Thomas on the 40-man roster, the A's transferred Eric Chavez to the 60-day DL.

Thomas was in the second year of a two-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and was batting .167 with three home runs, 11 RBI and 11 walks in 16 games when he was released on April 20. He batted .277 with 26 home runs and 95 RBI in 155 games for Toronto last year after spending the 2006 season with Oakland. The 39-year old Thomas hit .270 with 39 home runs and 114 RBI during his first stint with the A's and received the 2006 Players Choice Award for American League Comeback Player of the Year.

Thomas spent the first 16 seasons of his career with the Chicago White Sox and was a five-time All-Star. He also won back-to-back AL Most Valuable Players Awards in 1993 and 1994 and led the AL in batting in 1997 when he hit .347.

Now in his 19th season, Thomas has a .302 career batting average with 516 home runs and 1685 RBI in 2267 games. With 1639 walks and 1474 runs scored, he is one of just four players in Major League history with at least a .300 career average, 500 home runs, 1500 RBI, 1000 runs and 1500 walks. He joins Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and Mel Ott in that elite group.

Thomas ranks ninth on Major League Baseball's all-time walks list, is 18th in home runs, 20th in on-base percentage (.420), 22nd in RBI and slugging (.559) and 24th in extra base hits (1016). His 264 career home runs as a designated hitter are a Major League record.

[LXQ42]

Good. He can sour their locker room when he gets benched for a game.

[ollie]

Are the Jays still on the hook for his salary?

[Booche]

Are the Jays still on the hook for his salary?

I think they are on the hook for the season but he would have had enough plate appearances this year (unless he got hurt) to kick in a clause that would have had him with the team next season at 10 million. They made the right move.

Everyone knew it was far too risky of a signing at the time but what else can they do to lure free agents?

[ollie]

So he's getting two paychecks as has-been then? That's pretty slick.

[Booche]

His paycheque from the A's is for the league minimum so yes. He is getting 2. Its more like he got cut, picked up from another team and got a slight raise.

Sit all day, hit 4 or 5 times in a game and get a shitload of cash.

Great life eh?

[rubberdinghy]

Sit all day, hit 4 or 5 times in a game and get a shitload of cash.

You mean stand in the batter's box and only hit 17% of the time

[afro poppa]

Actually he doesn't even stand, he just kneels and leans on his bat...

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

His paycheque from the A's is for the league minimum so yes. He is getting 2. Its more like he got cut, picked up from another team and got a slight raise.

Sit all day, hit 4 or 5 times in a game and get a shitload of cash.

Great life eh?

no raise as the Jays get to subtract the amount that Oakloand is paying him from the amount that they owe the big hurt.

Too bad Ricciardi didn't learn much from Billy Beane. These are the kind of signings he should be making. Signing Thomas 2 years ago like Oakland did was a smart move. Signing him to that big contract was a dumb move.