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Phillies Claim Tayler Scott From Padres

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The Phillies announced that they have claimed right-hander Tayler Scott off waivers from the Padres and optioned him to Triple-A. To create room on their 40-man roster, the Phillies recalled left-hander Kent Emanuel from Lehigh Valley and placed him on the 60-day IL with a shoulder strain.

Scott, 30, spent 2020 and 2021 with the Hiroshima Carp of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He came back to North America for 2022, signing a minor league deal with the Padres. He had his contract selected in July and has thrown 12 innings for the big league club, though with a disappointing 6.75 ERA. He’s been much better in Triple-A, however, with a 3.76 ERA through 40 2/3 innings. That’s come with strong strikeout and walk rates of 30.4% and 6.4%, respectively. He’ll provide the Phils with an optionable depth arm, though he won’t be eligible for the postseason since he wasn’t in the organization prior to September 1.

In order to clear a roster spot for Scott, the Phillies have officially ended the season of Emanuel, who hasn’t pitched since the end of August. By recalling him and placing him on the 60-day IL, the club opens up a roster spot for Scott, though they will now be paying Emanuel a major league salary for the final three weeks of the season. Emanuel will also collect service time during that stretch. Claimed from the Astros in November, the lefty was also placed on the 60-day IL to begin the year due to an elbow impingement. Though he eventually returned to the hill in the minors, he was only able to make 13 starts in between his ailments. He registered a 2.55 ERA in that time with a 19.1% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate.

Phillies Reinstate Zach Eflin

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The Phillies announced they’ve activated righty Zach Eflin from the 60-day injured list. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, Philadelphia recalled right-hander Mark Appel from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and placed him on the MLB 60-day IL.

Eflin returns to the active roster for the first time since June 26. The 28-year-old has been bothered by a right knee contusion, the continuation of career-long issues with the joint. He’s undergone surgery on the knee in both 2016 and ’21, and while he didn’t need to go under the knife this time around, the club no doubt factored in his injury history in determining how quickly he could ramp back up. Eflin just began a minor league rehab assignment last Friday, tossing two innings and 27 pitches in Lehigh Valley. After one game, he’s ready to jump right back to the big leagues.

The rehab stint had to be expedited by the lack of time remaining on the regular season schedule. There’s a bit more than three weeks to play, and the 78-62 Phils are battling for their first postseason appearance in over a decade. Philadelphia is 1 1/2 games up on the Padres for the National League’s second Wild Card spot, with a three-game cushion between themselves and the only viable threat to bump them out of the playoff picture entirely, the Brewers.

There wasn’t sufficient time to build Eflin back to a traditional starter’s workload, so he’ll move into the bullpen for interim skipper Rob Thomson. Philadelphia’s relief corps has been middle-of-the-pack this season. That’s a marked improvement over the past couple years, but the Phils recently lost Corey Knebel for the season. Trade deadline acquisition David Robertson, Seranthony Domínguez (himself recently activated from the injured list) and Connor Brogdon have emerged as Thomson’s top right-handed options.

Working from the bullpen is unfamiliar territory for Eflin, who has started 115 of his 120 MLB appearances. He’s been a reliable mid-rotation arm for the majority of that time, posting an ERA between 3.97 and 4.37 in each of the past five years. Eflin has been one of the game’s most consistent strike-throwers, and while he hasn’t missed many bats, he’ll be one of the steadier rotation options available on this winter’s free agent market.

Appel’s season comes to an unfortunate early close. He’s battling inflammation in his throwing elbow, according to the club’s transactions log at MLB.com, and the 60-day minimum officially closes the books on his returning this year. Appel’s most recent appearance with Lehigh Valley came on September 3, and he landed on the minor league injured list not too long thereafter.

It’s a disappointing conclusion to the year, but 2022 has to go down as a resounding success for the former first overall pick. Appel never reached the big leagues with his original organization, the Astros, and he looked as if he’d never appear at the highest level after stepping away from the game following the 2017 campaign. Appel made a comeback effort last year, and he remained in the Philadelphia system this season. Appel earned his long-awaited first promotion in mid-June, and he finishes the season with 10 1/3 innings of two-run ball in the big leagues.

Philadelphia will pay Appel at the prorated $700K MLB minimum rate for the rest of the season to temporarily remove him from the 40-man roster. The 31-year-old is in his second of three minor league option years and can continue to bounce on and off the Phils active roster next season.

Phillies Expected To Target Xander Bogaerts In Free Agency

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Though there’s plenty left to be decided in the Phillies’ 2022 season, it’s never too early to speculate about what the club might have in store for the winter or for the 2023 campaign.  To this end, Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe writes that “the Phillies will be eager suitors” for Xander Bogaerts, provided that Bogaerts (as expected) opts out of his contract with the Red Sox.

Reports already surfaced in June that Philadelphia would be targeting the shortstop position this winter, with the Phils looking to make a splash in a free agent class that is expected to include the likes of Bogaerts, Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson, and Carlos Correa.  Bogaerts and Correa are seen as virtual locks to exercise opt-out clauses, and Turner and Swanson are both scheduled to hit the open market (though Swanson and the Braves are exploring an extension).

Bogaerts’ talent makes him a natural target for any team that wants a big upgrade at shortstop, and the Phillies are perhaps an even more logical fit due to the past ties between Bogaerts and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.  After all, Dombrowski was Boston’s president of baseball operations when Bogaerts signed his current contract — a six-year, $120MM extension that included an opt-out clause following the current season.  Bogaerts would be leaving three years and $60MM on the table to opt out, but is no doubt he’d easily top that number on the open market.

Of course, shortstop is not quite the problem position it was for the Phillies at the start of the season.  After a very slow start in his rookie year, Bryson Stott has started to acclimate to the Show, hitting .305/.349/.488 with five home runs over his last 175 plate appearances.  However, Stott has mostly split his time between second base and shortstop, with defensive metrics (albeit in a sample size of not even one full season) indicating that his glove plays better at second base.  While Bogaerts’ own glovework at shortstop has been a question mark for years, he is currently enjoying the best defensive season of his career, with positive grades from the Outs Above Average, Defensive Runs Saved, and UZR/150 metrics.

If the Phillies were to sign Bogaerts and move Stott to second base, that leaves Jean Segura as the odd man out.  The Phils hold a $17MM club option ($1MM buyout) on Segura for the 2023 season, and Segura is posting his typical level of offensive production, though he has only 301 plate appearances due to a fractured finger.  Another option would be to retain Segura, and Stott and Segura at second and third base with Bogaerts as the new shortstop.  This would displace the defensive-challenged Alec Bohm from third base, and Bohm could perhaps be tried at first base, and Rhys Hoskins — who is a free agent after 2023 — could become a trade chip.

There are lots of ways the Phillies could approach things this winter, and payroll will also be a factor in a pursuit of Bogaerts or any other top-flight shortstop.  A lot of salary (Segura, Didi Gregorius, Noah Syndergaard, Zach Eflin, Corey Knebel, Kyle Gibson, Brad Hand, Jeurys Familia) could come off the books in the form of pending free agents and declined club options, but that also leaves a lot of roster holes to be filled.  As per Roster Resource, the Phils are slated to pay the luxury tax in 2022, and thus they’d have to pay a higher penalty in draft pick compensation for signing a qualifying-offer free agent (i.e. Bogaerts).

NL Injury Notes: Madrigal, Wisdom, Dominguez, Eflin, Wheeler, Bryant

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The Cubs placed second baseman Nick Madrigal on the 10-day injured list due to a right groin strain, and activated Patrick Wisdom (left ring finger sprain) from the 10-day IL to fill the open roster spot.  Madrigal suffered the injury in yesterday’s game, and given the lack of time remaining in the season, it isn’t out of the question that Madrigal might be shut down entirely.  This is the second groin injury (the first strain was to Madrigal’s left groin) and third injury overall for the second baseman in 2022, after a back problem cost him three weeks in May.

Overall, Madrigal has played in only 59 games this season, only slightly topping the 54 games he played during a 2021 campaign that was shortened by hamstring surgery.  While Madrigal is still eyed as the Cubs’ second baseman of the future, this health history is already concerning, and it’s fair to say that his injuries were certainly a factor in his .249/.305/.282 slash line in 228 PA this season.  With the Cubs out of contention, their eyes are on 2023, and aren’t likely to push Madrigal back onto the field unless his current groin issue ends up being pretty minor.

Updates on other injury situations from around the National League…

  • Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson updated reporters (including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki) on several injured Philadelphia players, including two pitchers ready to return to the mound.  Seranthony Dominguez will be activated prior to tomorrow’s game against the Nationals, after missing a little over three weeks due to right triceps tendinitis.  Zach Eflin will be activated from the 60-day IL prior to Tuesday’s game, with Eflin possibly working as an opener as he embarks on a new role as a relief pitcher.  Eflin has been out since late June due to knee problems, and with less time to ramp up for a starter’s workload, Philadelphia will instead use Eflin out of the bullpen.  Zack Wheeler (forearm tendinitis) won’t be back until at least September 20, but Wheeler threw 15 pitches off a mound today, and Thomson said Wheeler will throw a proper bullpen session on Monday or Tuesday.
  • Kris Bryant hasn’t played since July 31 due to plantar fasciitis, and Rockies manager Bud Black wasn’t sure if the slugger would be able to return before the season is over.  “There is time but I don’t know if it’s going to happen…He hasn’t had a bat in his hand for a while, but he’s feeling much better,” Black told reporters, including The Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders.  Bryant has been able to play catch and lift weights now that he is no longer in a walking boot, though it remains to be seen when (or if) he’d be able to take part in fuller baseball activities.  Between the platar fasciitis and two separate IL stints due to back injuries, Bryant’s first year with the Rockies has essentially been a lost season, with only 42 games played.  The one bright spot is that Bryant at least hit well when he was able to play, contributing a .306/.376/.475 slash line and five homers in 181 plate appearances.

Tigers Claim Luis García From Phillies

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The Tigers have claimed infielder Luis García off waivers from the Phillies, according to announcements from both teams. Garcia has been optioned to Double-A Erie. The Tigers already had a vacancy on their 40-man roster after designating Michael Pineda for assignment on Sunday.

Garcia, not to be confused with the Luis García of the Nationals or the Luis García of the Padres or the Luis Garcia of the Astros, is a 21-year-old infielder who had spent his entire career in the Phillies’ organization up until now.

He made his professional debut in rookie ball in 2018, just 17 years old at that time. He hit a tremendous .369/.433/.488 in 43 games, showing enough promise to crack Baseball America’s list of the top 100 prospects in the sport. BA placed him #88 going into 2019. However, García struggled immensely in A-ball that year, hitting .186/.261/.255 and losing his spot on BA’s list.

After the minor leagues were canceled by the pandemic in 2020, he had a bit of a bounceback in 2021, hitting .243/.353/.414 between A-ball and High-A, walking in 13.8% of his plate appearances and stealing 15 bases. That was enough for the Phillies to add him to their 40-man roster in November, protecting him from the Rule 5 draft that ended up getting canceled by the lockout.

Unfortunately, it’s been another downturn here in 2022, with García hitting .167/.316/.253 across four different levels on the year. Based on that poor showing, he lost his roster spot on the weekend, now landing with the Tigers, who are likely intrigued by García’s approach. Despite his poor batted ball results, he’s still walking in 15.6% of his plate appearances this season. For reference, the MLB average is 8.2% this year, meaning García is nearly doubling that pace. Struggles aside, he still came in #16 on BA’s most recent update of top 30 Philly prospects. Their report notes that he’s a plus defender at shortstop, meaning that he could be a valuable piece so long as his bat improves.

For the Tigers, this is a no-cost way of adding to their system, picking up a prospect who’s definitely lost some shine in recent years but still has some intriguing tools. Since they are well out of contention, they can use their open roster spot to take a flier on García and hope that he can help them down the line.

Phillies Place Nick Castellanos On 10-Day Injured List

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2:44PM: The Phillies officially announced Castellanos’ placement, due to a right oblique strain.  To make room for Guthrie, the Phillies designated infielder Luis Garcia for assignment.  Garcia has hit .227/.323/.338 over 1407 career PA in Philadelphia’s farm system, and was still ranked 14th on MLB Pipeline’s list of the team’s top 30 prospects due to his defense and a seeming offensive breakout in A-ball in 2021.  However, Garcia has struggled badly this year at both the high-A and Double-A levels.

12:21PM: The Phillies have placed outfielder Nick Castellanos on the 10-day injured list.  Outfielder Dalton Guthrie had his contract selected from Triple-A, and another 40-man roster move will be necessary to accommodate Guthrie’s addition to the active roster.

Castellanos left Friday’s game due to an oblique injury, with manager Rob Thomson saying that the outfielder would undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the problem.  There hasn’t been any word on the results of the MRI, but even a lower-level oblique problem usually results in at least a minimal IL visit.  Castellanos and the Phillies can only hope that the injury is minor, as otherwise Castellanos could be in danger of missing the rest of the regular season and possibly the playoffs.

It has been an underwhelming season overall for Castellanos, who signed a five-year, $100MM free agent deal with Philadelphia in March.  The slugger is hitting only .265/.305/.397 over 531 plate appearances, resulting in a subpar 96 wRC+.  However, Castellanos has looked a lot more like his old self in recent weeks, with five home runs and a .318/.348/.505 slash line in his last 112 PA.

With Castellanos now sidelined, Matt Vierling figures to see much of the action in right field, as Vierling has already been filling in for the last couple of days and while Castellanos also recently missed time with a turf-toe injury.  Bryce Harper is still limited to DH duty and isn’t an option in the outfield, leaving Vierling, utilityman Nick Maton, and now Guthrie as the choices for right field playing time.

Guthrie was a sixth-round pick for the Phillies in the 2017 draft, and the 26-year-old is now on the verge of his Major League debut.  He posted some middling numbers over his first three pro seasons, but hit well enough in 2021 to earn a promotion from Double-A to Triple-A, and Guthrie has continued to perform at the highest minor league level.  Over 513 total PA at Triple-A in 2021-22, Guthrie has hit .299/.354/.466 with 12 home runs and 23 steals (out of 30 chances).

Beyond just outfield depth, Guthrie also offers the Phillies some versatility around the diamond, which could hint at Maton perhaps getting more work as an outfield-specific player.  Guthrie has played mostly center and right field this season at Triple-A, with only a handful of games as a second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop.  However, Guthrie was initially drafted as an infielder, and hadn’t played a pro game in the outfield until 2021.

Injury Notes: Castellanos, Lorenzen, Taylor

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Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos left last night’s game and wasn’t in today’s lineup due to an issue with his right oblique. He is headed for an MRI but manager Rob Thomson is hopeful that this is just precautionary (Twitter links from Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer.)

Signed in the offseason to a five-year, $100MM contract, the first few months of his tenure in Philly didn’t go so well, though he had turned things around over the past month. Through the end of July, he was hitting just .257/.300/.373 but has hit .294/.327/.490 since the calendar flipped to August. That progress seems to have now hit a couple of snags, as he already missed a few games earlier this week due to turf toe, with this oblique issue now added into the mix.

Castellanos has yet to be placed on the injured list, but losing his hot bat for even a few games will be a setback for the club. The Phillies are currently holding onto the final Wild Card spot in the National League, with the Brewers just three games back. With Bryce Harper unable to throw and taking the designated hitter spot every day, Castellanos will likely have a tough time getting back into the lineup until he feels well enough to play a full game. The Phillies used an outfield of Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh and Matt Vierling tonight, with that trio likely to be the regulars until Castellanos can return. Nick Maton is primarily an infielder but has four left field starts in his career and might be the fourth outfielder for now.

Other injury updates from around the league…

  • Angels righty Michael Lorenzen, who has been on the IL since July 7 due to a shoulder strain, has been on a rehab stint but will make his next start with the big league club. J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group relays the news from interim manager Phil Nevin. That will give Lorenzen a few weeks to showcase his abilities before heading back to free agency this winter. Long used as a reliever by the Reds, he signed with the Angels when they agreed to let him try himself out as a starter. He had a 3.45 ERA through mid-June, having made ten starts. Unfortunately, he allowed 16 earned runs over his next three, ballooning his ERA 4.94. The righty will get a chance to wash away that latter section as an injury blip and finish strong before returning to the open market. The Angels will need to open a spot on the 40-man roster for him, as he is currently on the 60-day IL.
  • Red Sox lefty Josh Taylor, who has been on the IL all year due to a low back strain, will not return over the final few weeks of the campaign. Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe relays word from the club that it will go down as a completely lost season for the 29-year-old. It’s an unfortunate development for both Taylor and the club as he had a very nice season in 2021. Last year, he threw 47 2/3 innings with a 3.40 ERA, 28.7% strikeout rate and 43.4% ground ball rate. His 11% walk rate was a bit above the 9.8% league average for relievers last year, but it was still a strong enough showing that the club gave him the chance to earn 15 holds on the year. Taylor qualified for arbitration the first time this year as a Super Two player and is making $1.025MM for the season. Based on not appearing this season, he could likely be retained by the Red Sox at a similar price for next season, if they expect he can return to health and recapture his previous form.

Pitching Notes: Wheeler, Pomeranz, Flaherty, Hudson

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Zack Wheeler underwent an MRI Thursday that didn’t reveal any structural damage, Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury and other reporters.  Wheeler received the testing after feeling soreness during a catch session, and while the issue seems to be just be elbow inflammation, it does present new questions about when Wheeler will be able to return to the rotation.  The right-hander was retroactively placed on the 15-day injured list on August 22, and was expected to miss two starts while recovering from forearm tendinitis.

“It’s feeling better and I’m sure if this was a playoff game, he’d say, ’Give me the ball.’  But he’s still feeling it a little bit so we’re going to wait and re-evaluate on Monday or Tuesday,” Thomson said.  The skipper said he isn’t too concerned about Wheeler’s status, but Wheeler won’t be activated from the IL on Tuesday, his first day of eligibility for reinstatement.  Wheeler is enjoying another strong season and has been a big part of the Phillies’ success, and the club naturally needs the righty back as soon as possible (health permitting) for the stretch run.

More on other pitching situations around baseball….

  • Drew Pomeranz has yet to pitch this season after undergoing flexor tendon surgery in August 2021, and his chances of a return seemingly took a hit when his rehab was shut down due to soreness two weeks ago.  However, Padres manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune) that Pomeranz played catch on Friday and is slated to throw later this week.  After the shutdown, Pomeranz had a checkup with Dr. Neal ElAttrache but was told that some soreness is a routine part of the recovery process.  “There’s still a chance to get [Pomeranz] back here before the season is over,” Melvin said.
  • The Cardinals will activate Jack Flaherty off the 60-day IL Monday for a start against the Nationals.  Shoulder problems have limited Flaherty to only eight innings over three starts this season, marking his second consecutive injury-marred year.  With Flaherty back, Cards manager Oliver Marmol told reporters (including Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that Dakota Hudson will move to the bullpen for now, and might not start again until a doubleheader against the Reds on September 17.  Despite below-average Statcast metrics almost across the board, Hudson has managed a 4.43 ERA over 126 innings, though his SIERA is a less-favorable 5.11.  It doesn’t seem like either Flaherty or Hudson are candidates for starting assignments in the postseason, though their work in September and October will give Marmol and company more to think about in determining roles on playoff rosters.

Every Team’s Initial September Call-Ups

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Each season as the calendar flips to September, we see a flurry of transactions around Major League Baseball. Active roster sizes jump from 26 to 28 for the season’s final month, with teams permitted to bring up no more than one additional pitcher. We’ve already covered a host of transactions with 40-man roster implications throughout the day at MLBTR. Here’s a full round-up of teams’ initial September roster moves.

American League West

Houston Astros:

Los Angeles Angels:

Oakland Athletics

Seattle Mariners

  • Reinstated LHP Matthew Boyd from 60-day injured list
  • Recalled OF Taylor Trammell from Triple-A Tacoma
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Texas Rangers

  • Selected contract of RHP Jesus Tinoco from Triple-A Round Rock
  • Recalled OF Nick Solak from Triple-A Round Rock
  • Corresponding move: Transferred RHP Josh Sborz to 60-day injured list

American League Central

Chicago White Sox

  • Recalled OF Adam Haseley from Triple-A Charlotte
  • Recalled RHP Matt Foster from Triple-A Charlotte
  • Corresponding move: None required

Cleveland Guardians

Detroit Tigers

Kansas City Royals

  • Selected contract of RHP Daniel Mengden from Triple-A Omaha
  • Recalled OF Nate Eaton from Triple-A Omaha
  • Corresponding move: None required

Minnesota Twins

  • Added LHP Austin Davis (previously claimed off waivers from Red Sox) to active roster
  • Selected contract of OF Billy Hamilton from Triple-A St. Paul
  • Corresponding move: Transferred OF Trevor Larnach to 60-day injured list

American League East

Baltimore Orioles

  • Selected contract of 1B Jesus Aguilar from Triple-A Norfolk
  • Recalled LHP DL Hall from Triple-A Norfolk
  • Corresponding move: Designated INF Richie Martin for assignment

Boston Red Sox

New York Yankees

  • Recalled SS Oswald Peraza from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
  • Activated INF Marwin Gonzalez from paternity list
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Tampa Bay Rays

  • Reinstated RHP Matt Wisler from the 15-day injured list
  • Recalled INF Jonathan Aranda from Triple-A Durham
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Toronto Blue Jays

  • Recalled RHP Casey Lawrence from Triple-A Buffalo
  • Added OF Bradley Zimmer (claimed off waivers from Phillies this week) to active roster
  • Corresponding moves: None required

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks

Colorado Rockies

  • Recalled INF Alan Trejo from Triple-A Albuquerque
  • Recalled RHP Chad Smith from Triple-A Albuquerque
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Reinstated LHP Clayton Kershaw from 15-day injured list
  • Recalled 3B Miguel Vargas from Triple-A Oklahoma City
  • Corresponding moves: None required

San Diego Padres

  • Recalled INF Matt Beaty from Triple-A El Paso
  • Recalled RHP Reiss Knehr from Triple-A El Paso
  • Corresponding moves: None required

San Francisco Giants

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

  • Selected contract of RHP Jeremiah Estrada from Triple-A Iowa
  • Recalled INF David Bote from Triple-A Iowa
  • Corresponding move: Transferred Wade Miley from 15-day injured list to 60-day injured list

Cincinnati Reds

Milwaukee Brewers

  • Recalled RHP Luis Perdomo from Triple-A Nashville
  • Recalled OF Esteury Ruiz from Triple-A Nashville
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Pittsburgh Pirates

  • Recalled RHP Johan Oviedo from Triple-A Indianapolis
  • Recalled OF Calvin Mitchell from Triple-A Indianapolis
  • Corresponding moves: None required

St. Louis Cardinals

  • Selected contract of OF Ben DeLuzio from Triple-A Memphis
  • Recalled RHP James Naile from Triple-A Memphis
  • Corresponding moves: None required

National League East

Atlanta Braves

  • Reinstated IF Orlando Arcia from 10-day injured list
  • Added recently-claimed RHP Jesse Chavez to active roster
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Miami Marlins*

New York Mets

Philadelphia Phillies

  • Selected contract of RHP Vinny Nittoli from Triple-A Lehigh Valley
  • Recalled C Donny Sands from Triple-A Lehigh Valley
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Washington Nationals

  • Recalled C Tres Barrera from Triple-A Rochester
  • Recalled RHP Mason Thompson from Triple-A Rochester
  • Corresponding moves: None required

*Marlins moves reported by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link)

Lee Thomas Passes Away

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The Phillies announced this afternoon that former major league player and general manager Lee Thomas has passed away. He was 87 years old.

A St. Louis native, Thomas began his professional career shortly after graduating high school in 1954. He spent seven years climbing through the Yankees farm system and got his first cup of coffee on New York’s 1961 team that wound up winning the World Series. Thomas wasn’t with the club by that point, as the Yankees traded the left-handed hitter to the expansion Angels a few weeks into the ’61 season. Thomas played in 130 games as a rookie, putting up an impressive .284/.353/.491 line. He tied for third in AL Rookie of the Year balloting, and his impressive showing earned him a regular spot between the Halos corner outfield and first base for the next few seasons.

Thomas posted arguably the best year of his career in 1962, blasting 26 homers and plating 104 runs with a .290/.355/.467 slash line. He played in 160 games, earned a spot in the All-Star Game and finished 11th in AL MVP balloting. Thomas’ production dipped the following season, however, and he settled in as a journeyman by the 1964 campaign. He played for five teams — Angels, Red Sox, Braves, Astros and Cubs — through the end of his playing days in 1968. Over parts of eight seasons, Thomas compiled a .255/.327/.397 line with 106 round-trippers and 428 RBI.

An eight-year playing career that featured an All-Star appearance and some early-career award support would’ve been impressive enough on its own, but Thomas’ influence on the game extended well beyond his on-field days. He transitioned into coaching in the minors and eventually moved into front office work with the Cardinals. He was part of the St. Louis front office during their 1982 championship season, and he got an opportunity to run his own baseball operations department when he was hired by the Phillies as vice president of player personnel in June 1988.

Thomas would lead the Phils baseball ops for almost a decade. His front office put together a roster that won 97 games and advanced to the World Series in 1993, eventually dropping the six-game set in Toronto capped off by Joe Carter’s championship-winning home run. Thomas remained Philadelphia GM until he was replaced by Ed Wade in 1997. He’d go on to spend time with the Red Sox, Astros, Brewers and Orioles this century, holding a special assistant position in Baltimore as recently as 2018. All told, Thomas’ career in the industry spanned parts of seven decades.

MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, friends and former colleagues throughout the game.

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