The Angels and outfielder Dillon Thomas are in agreement on a minor league deal with an invite to Major League Spring Training, tweets Robert Murray of FanSided. Thomas wasn’t on a 40-man roster or Major League injured list at season’s end, making him eligible to sign a minor league deal even with the lockout/transaction freeze ongoing.
Thomas, 29, made his big league debut with the Mariners this past season, appearing in four games and going 1-for-9 with a single for his first MLB knock. He spent the rest of the season with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, batting .269/.377/.448 with 13 homers, 19 doubles, a triple and a dozen steals (in 13 tries). Strikeouts were an issue both in the big leagues, where he fanned in seven of his nine plate appearances, and in Tacoma, where he whiffed at a 29.6% clip.
A fourth-round pick by the Rockies back in 2011, Thomas spent six seasons in the Colorado system (2011-17) and another two in the Brewers organization (2018-19) in addition to last year’s stint with the M’s. He’s a career .262/.332/.394 hitter in the minors overall, with last year’s solid run in Triple-A marking his only real experience at that level. (He also had three plate appearances with the Rockies’ Triple-A club in 2017.) He’s primarily a corner outfielder, having logged more than 2200 professional innings in both right and left field, and he also has 465 innings in center under his belt as well.
The Halos already have numerous outfield options ticketed for the big league roster — Mike Trout, Brandon Marsh, Jo Adell, Justin Upton and utilitymen Tyler Wade and Andrew Velazquez — plus Taylor Ward also on the 40-man roster. Thomas will likely head to Triple-A Salt Lake and give the Angels some left-handed-hitting corner depth.
The missing piece to getting us to the WS
I love this post. Anytime we get a depth player, there’s someone posting this nonsense.
Hey, low risk guy for OF depth with no $$ tied up? Yes please.
I love this post. It shows the lack of humor people have these days.
Or maybe its a joke that has been beaten to death? What’s the old phrase.. if you have to repeat a joke more than once its no longer funny?
Sure it’s old and I’ll agree I roll my eyes but I’m also not going to insult someone’s post so blatantly
It never gets old
This type was post old and tired before the lockout. Imagine making such a comment during a lockout.
sounds like the Angels are on the verge of trading away some outfielders once the freeze lifts
No it doesn’t, it sounds like the Angels are trying to fill a AAA roster.
His career did not go gentle into that good night. He’s raging, raging against the dying of the light.
See what you did there
& death shall have no dominion over his career.
To be or not to be, that is the question! (I don’t get this game)
That quote is Got Dang beautiful
Dylan Thomas poems, @Hill.
Hey…not a lot going on in MLB, man. I have never heard of Dillon Thomas baseball player. I have – however – heard (& semi-sheepishly admits: read) of Dylan Thomas poet.
Jeeez this lockout stuff is pretty dull.
We’ve been reduced to quoting Welsh poets. I feel like MLB owes us all a little something just due to that.
In the chat the other day someone thought John Locke was a character on Lost.
Oh, boy. That’s…not good, Halo11.
I know; I was being ironical. Trust me, as an M’s fan there was no shortage of those jokes last year. But they made me laugh to beat the band
Well, hell. & here I thought we were being original.
I almost never go on other threads about the moves of other teams and insult those teams.
I think there is something wrong with people that do.
The Dominican League is fun to watch, there’s a good deal of pro players down there right now and it’s down to the last few games before the final championship tournament and it’s a pretty tight race. It’s on MLB.TV
Keep him away from the Chelsea when they play on New York
Usually it’s the Mariners fishing from the Angels dumpster.
Put my footsteps on the pavement
Starved for entertainment
Four seasons of revolving doors
So sick of being honest
I’ll die like Dylan Thomas
A seizure on the barroom floor
Kudos to anyone who gets the reference.
He’s so unhip that
When you say Dylan, he thinks you’re talkin’ about Dylan Thomas
Whoever he is
The man ain’t got no culture
Ah love it…..the poets of my generation….”wait, somebody tapped my phone”!!!!….
If former 30 HR Scott Shebler was washed out for us at 30 years old, not sure what Thomas has that’s been untouched after making a AAA team for the first time at 28, being drafted a decade ago
It’s a Minor League contract. A depth move. Every organization needs veterans to play alongside their prospects. I don’t get people who are critical of such transactions. There’s nothing negative about them.
I don’t get people who dont understand the definition of “comment”. Hey Cey, I thought Shebler was a good depth signing. He had like 3 seasons as a starter with a 30 Homer campaign before it was sexy. If Thomas gets a call, awesome for him. Go Angels.
As for your nothing negative about them minor league signings. Dodgers signed what they thought was their future 3rd baseman slugger from Cuba Alex Guerrero. That same year Miguel Olivo got a minor league contract and bit his ear off in the dugout during a game. Guerrero needed surgery and was out for 2-3 months. Lucky for us Thomas is just hungry enough for the Mlb only. Your moms calling for dinner. I gotta go cause I’m hungry too.
Your comment suggests that Thomas might not have anything to give at the Major League level, which isn’t the point of such signings. Thomas is for Minor League depth. Anything beyond that would be gravy.
This isn’t a depth signing. This is a fill out the AAA roster signing.
The Angels promoted Adell and Marsh and need someone to play AAA outfield.
Then go to the MILB website and defend the signing. I never said it wasn’t a good signing, just asked what can he provide for the ANGEL’S BASEBALL TEAM. Hence the website name. Who cares about what the Salt Lakes roster looks like if its only AAA depth. Youre defending a player that most likely will never take another MLB at bat without roster injuries. Yo Thomas, prove us all wrong!
He is unlikely to provide anything at the major league level. I doubt he ever makes the 40 man roster.
If the Angels had Marsh and Adell in AAA, he would have never been signed
Go Angels!
Seems like a decent gamble here. On the miniscule chance he cuts down on the K’s, his exit velocity should lead to good things. Considering he probably won’t, we have open spots in Salt Lake to fill.
Fun story last season watching him get his first hit, with his family in attendance
Some people here are Uber sensitive
Justin Upton has been around forever! Still is only 34…..
The Angels have no depth at AAA. Marsh and Adell have to be replaced.
So fine,
We also signed Trey Cabbage on a minors deal. 24, more pop. I interviewed Cabbage today. Very nice guy.
Cabbage? Any relation to the great TV mobster Johnny Roast Beef?
Can he pitch? Because at this point Halos only should be working on building the rotation and bullpen cuz last year they both stunk.
This far they’ve signed Thor, Loup, and Lorenzen and brought back Iglesias. I’d say they’re definitely prioritizing pitching.
I hate that the Angels have reserved a starting slot for Lorenzen.
Unless he completely bombs this Spring, he’ll open up the year in the rotation and the Angels will need to replace him with the loser of the 6th spot competition sooner rather than later.
This’ll all be forgotten when, after the lockout, the Halos sign Carlos Rodon and Trevor Story – and trade for Castillo.
……I’ll show myself out now…….
The Angels make me drink like Dylan Thomas. Or is it Marlo Thomas? Nah, I’m sure I mean they make me play CF like Derrel Thomas. Nooo – I meant that they inspire me to lust after Heather Thomas.