Desperate O's Turn To Thome

Making Moves vs. Staying The Course

The MLB trade deadline is still a few weeks away (July 31st), but the Orioles aren't waiting around to start making moves and for the first time in awhile they are buyers.

A few days ago, the O's sent two single-A prospects to the Philies in exchange for Jim Thome.  Jim-freaking-Thome.  Jim "That Guy is Still Playing" Thome.  I'll move on.

I loved the idea that the O's were confident enough in the team THIS season to go out and make a move to better their shot at the playoffs.  At least that's how I felt at first.

The more I thought about it, the more the Thome move felt like grasping-at-straws.  I mean, I've never been a fan of Thome, I'll admit that.  Let's check the numbers...



Here is Thome's stat line with Philly, and my projections for the rest of the season.

• Jim Thome: .242, 9 Runs, 5 HRs, 15 RBIs, 8 BBs w/ Philly
• 162 projection: 49 Runs, 27 HRs, 81 RBIs, 43 BBs

Now before the Colorado series a lot of people were asking how the Nationals were going to "fix" their lineup.  Well here is how they did it.

They did nothing.

They didn't look around the bottom of the barrel to poach players from last place teams.  They didn't exchange future talent for aging talent.  Nope.  Instead the Nats trusted that their lineup would start clicking and click it has (Thanks Coors Field!)

1. They believed that Zimmerman couldn't stay cold forever (Thanks Cortisone!)
2. They trusted that Morse would start going into Beast Mode sooner or later.
3. Most importantly, they had pitchers to carry the team while the offense figured it out.  
4. Storen, Tracy, and Werth all returning (fingers crossed) the Nats have all the help they need.

 They aren't desperate, they didn't panic, because THEY are the confident ones.


If Thome stays on pace for those homerun and RBI projections (he won't) of course he could be part of the playoff puzzle for the Orioles.  Right now though, the Nationals feel like frontrunners, and the O's feel like a fluke trying to hold on.