Eric Thames

[Bulldogboy]

Enough already. Thames has 37abs. 4 hr 11rbi. Jesus Aguilar has 67abs. 0 hrs 4rbi batting 136. This is not a bonus baby who is a 4 time all star. The guy barely made the team last year and was dfa three years ago. The brewers saved him and were rewarded with a great HALF a season. Regrettably they are acting as if he is a proven all star with a track record to match. Thames needs to play every day until we see he can't cut it. The guy is consistently coming up clutch in big spots and deserves a chance in my opinion. We don't need to get more left handed but this team's pitching demands the lineup be maxed out. If Aguilar figures it out great but enough with the Ryan Braun career achievement lineup spot. He hasn't hit since the home run derby.

[JohnBriggs12]

Thames should be playing vs. RHP virtually every day until Aguilar starts showing he's out of his funk. Certainly they need to ride any sign that Thames is locked in. They might have to go out and get a bat at the deadline assuming they can hang in the race.

[TURBO]

Thames should be playing vs. RHP virtually every day...

 

Period. If Jesus continues to suck as badly as he has so far, Thames can start every day as far as I'm concerned. For Jesus, this is not a funk, or a slump, he has been really really bad all season, and most of the second half last season.

 

There is a chance that we have already seen his best, and that is that.

[clancyphile]

Thames should be playing vs. RHP virtually every day...

 

Period. If Jesus continues to suck as badly as he has so far, Thames can start every day as far as I'm concerned. For Jesus, this is not a funk, or a slump, he has been really really bad all season, and most of the second half last season.

 

There is a chance that we have already seen his best, and that is that.

 

The only reason Thames struggled early in 2018 was he got hurt.

 

Aguilar then had his hot streak...

 

Now, Thames is healthy and raking. The risk is, of course, he makes the Crew lefty-heavy. But calling up Hirua could fix some of that. If Erceg is good enough at AAA, maybe Thames get flipped for prospects, and Erceg takes over.

 

And Aguilar may well return to the 2017/2018 form. In 2017, he racked up an .837 OPS part-time. 2018, it was .890.

 

Maybe he needs to go on the DL and have a rehab assignment to get back in motion. Call it a fever, and he needs some more cowbell...

[Austin Tatious]

Can Jesus be sent down to AAA or is he out of options? It’s painful watching how lost he is.

[clancyphile]

Can Jesus be sent down to AAA or is he out of options? It’s painful watching how lost he is.

 

He'd have to clear waivers...

 

The only way to get him down is a DL stint... that would get him a rehab assignment.

[wntrtxn21]

Enough already. Thames has 37abs. 4 hr 11rbi. Jesus Aguilar has 67abs. 0 hrs 4rbi batting 136. This is not a bonus baby who is a 4 time all star. The guy barely made the team last year and was dfa three years ago. The brewers saved him and were rewarded with a great HALF a season. Regrettably they are acting as if he is a proven all star with a track record to match. Thames needs to play every day until we see he can't cut it. The guy is consistently coming up clutch in big spots and deserves a chance in my opinion. We don't need to get more left handed but this team's pitching demands the lineup be maxed out. If Aguilar figures it out great but enough with the Ryan Braun career achievement lineup spot. He hasn't hit since the home run derby.

 

Thames is hurting his chances by striking out every other at bat. He is HR or K. However, with Aguilar-Shaw-Braun and Moustakas stinking out the joint, he may be as good as CC has for 1B.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Even striking out as much as he is, Thames would be providing SOMETHING to the offense, which Aguilar is doing none of right now.

 

I'd even let Thames play vs lefties right now. Aguilar is doing nothing at all. He's just not seeing the ball, he's trying to pull everything, and he's just not "on" for whatever reason.

[SomewhereInTime]

Thames has a 17/1 K/BB ratio

 

Let's not jump the gun and give him every start at first base.

[brewcrewdue80]

Thames certainly needs to get more starts at 1st base. But Kershaw went yesterday and how many other LA pitchers being lefty? Tge next RH SP the team sees will be telling if CC is going to make the move we want to see. Its simply amazing both Shaw(didnt he have good spring?) And Jesus are struggling at the plate looking up at Arcia. Each of last two seasons, both above .800 OPS and Jesus' slg was higher than his OPS stands now! Team cant option any of the guys struggling without exposing them to WW.

[willjski23]

Thames does need to get more ABs with Augilar struggles continuing. Aggy is due to get hot soon.... i hope

[JosephC]

I wanted to give Aguilar a couple more weeks at first base. But Thames has really stepped up and has earned 1B playing time IMO. Thames = .270/.300/.703/1.003, Aguilar = .136/.237/.197/.434. I'd probably do a strict platoon at 1B starting today and play a couple weeks and then re-evaluate.

 

Personal rule of thumb would be to wait until the early-to-mid May area of the schedule before making moves. But right now there are just too many players making too many outs in the lineup. Braun = .221 OBP. Shaw = .277 OBP. Arcia = .276 OBP. Aguilar = .237 OBP. Aguilar just catches a bad break in that he's the guy who has the hot bat sitting on the bench behind him. I guess one could argue that Thames could play LF for Braun, but with the pitching staff so shaky I would hate to downgrade the outfield defense in anyway.

[TURBO]

barring emergency, I don't want to see Thames in the OF ever again.

 

[tmwiese55]

I'd just go back to the R/L platoon like it was to start last year and go from there, see how it plays out.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'd just go back to the R/L platoon like it was to start last year and go from there, see how it plays out.

 

Go back to that and if Aguilar gets hot and Thames goes cold, reassess. Right now they are getting nothing out of too many hitters. Aguilar isn't alone. Shaw's been almost as bad. Maybe the idea of playing Shaw primarily against LH batters in spring might have backfired big time. He can't hit either lefties or righties now.

[MrTPlush]

barring emergency, I don't want to see Thames in the OF ever again.

 

 

Braun: "Hold my beer"

[KeithStone53151]

I tend to agree with the start Thames crowd more...and generally in a platoon with Aguilar. I'll add Aguilar is hitting the ball better, but remember how he thrived in a PH role and basically forced his way into the lineup. I think making him do that again is a good idea.

 

It's a shame that Aguilar and Shaw are both struggling, otherwise the easy solution would be to bring up Hiura and move Moose to 3b with Shaw or Aguilar at 1b. We definitely have options once more guys get going, but right now it's tough with so many corner infielders struggling to hit.

[RWeeksFan23]

Thames should have been our everyday 1B (at least against RHP) from day one this season. He was always likely to outhit Aguilar vs RHP despite Aguilar's allstar season last year.

[coolhandluke121]

I agree that they should have started out with a platoon. Aguilar had a great 3 months last year, but he's still the guy who spent nearly 10 years in the minors with an OPS of roughly .800, which makes Matt Clark look like Pujols. And he was not an especially young prospect at any stop either.

 

I caught a lot of flak for pointing this out time and time again during last year's spring training OF/1B logjam debates, and was very happy when he seemed to prove me wrong. Watching him last year, it was hard to imagine how he could only OPS .800 for so long in the minors. Now it's still hard to imagine how he carried an OPS of .800, but for the opposite reason!

 

I think there were some weird stats about his medium contact % last year and the percentage of those that were falling before the ASB last year. Perhaps it was never sustainable? However, he didn't look completely lost. When did he get scared of the ball?

 

Maybe I just need to start ragging on him again?

[Ennder]

His strike outs are down and his walks are up, he isn't chasing more than in the past, so it isn't like he has looked lost at the plate or anything. He just isn't hitting the ball as hard this season. My guess is it is a timing thing.

 

Not a problem just starting Thames more until things work out though, that is a completely reasonable path to fixing this issue. You have depth for a reason.

[clancyphile]

His strike outs are down and his walks are up, he isn't chasing more than in the past, so it isn't like he has looked lost at the plate or anything. He just isn't hitting the ball as hard this season. My guess is it is a timing thing.

 

Not a problem just starting Thames more until things work out though, that is a completely reasonable path to fixing this issue. You have depth for a reason.

 

Aguilar needs to go on the DL, then be sent on a rehab assignment to AAA to work on the timing.

[Brew crew 92]

Looks terrible every at bat, zero power, zero confidence. You can see it in his face, it’s like he’s scared he’s never gonna hit again. Shaw on the other hand looks terrible in his at bats too, but his face shows zero frustration.

[DuWayne Steurer]

His strike outs are down and his walks are up, he isn't chasing more than in the past, so it isn't like he has looked lost at the plate or anything. He just isn't hitting the ball as hard this season. My guess is it is a timing thing.

 

Not a problem just starting Thames more until things work out though, that is a completely reasonable path to fixing this issue. You have depth for a reason.

 

Aguilar needs to go on the DL, then be sent on a rehab assignment to AAA to work on the timing.

 

You can't just put someone on the injured list because they suck. There Are Rules against that. And if Aguilar were to claim the Brewers put him on the IL because he sucks the players union could file a grievance.

[TURBO]

Looks terrible every at bat, zero power, zero confidence. You can see it in his face, it’s like he’s scared he’s never gonna hit again. Shaw on the other hand looks terrible in his at bats too, but his face shows zero frustration.

 

Shaw always has the same look on his face no matter what is happening. The dude is just plain stoic.

[rcc]

Shaw is usually stoic except for when he broke his bat in the dugout the other day. I was surprised. He hit a homer last night and hopefully is on a streak. Thames needs to play and get on a streak too. Last year both were hitting very well around this time.