John Sickels Report on Eric Thames

John Sickels writes a great prospect blog called Minor League ball. I follow him, and you should too. He can be found here.

He had this to say after seeing Eric Thames play in the Arizona Fall League:

Eric Thames, OF, Blue Jays: Hitting .257/.366/.443, not great for the league context but granted sample is small. He hit a home run and a double in the game I saw him play, and showed a terrific approach at the plate, including power to all fields and good plate discipline. Opinion seems mixed; some scouts who have seen him more than I have say his swing is too long, but others say it looks fine and he's a sleeper for 2011/2012. In the game I saw it looked good to me, but I've liked him since he was at Pepperdine so maybe I'm biased.

This is great news for the depth of our system. Thames will likely get a chance to pad his stats in Las Vegas next year, and could be in line for a september call up. It is conceivable that the Jays could have back-to-back PCL MVPs, especially if Thames can bring the same approach to Vegas. By all accounts, Thames will be a Left Fielder at the major league level, which could mean that he's blocked by the (baby)face of the franchise in Travis Snider. No matter what others will have you believe, Snider is a Left fielder until his legs give out, and then he may become a 1B/DH.

Thames could also make great trade bait. He's blocked for the next few years at the MLB level, and He's really improved his stock as a prospect. The Jays could let him further improve his stock in the PCL, or he may be used in a deal this offseason.

Here's hoping that the Cardinals like what they see... Thames would be a perfect addition in any possible trade for Colby Rasmus.