Blake Murphy Sports Writing

Title: A Third Thigpen Thing
Date: June 5, 2007
Original Source: The On Deck Circle
Synopsis: Three articles on a catching prospect who never made it? Well, Thigpen was called up, so it warranted discussion. This was my last article until the winter of 2008, due mostly to summer night-shift work and a fall focus on my fourth year of school.

Yes, this is my third piece on Blue Jays’ catching prospect Curtis Thigpen in as many weeks. No, that does not mean I have the same type of man-crush hard-on I had for Alex Rios three or four years ago. It’s just that, to be honest, the original Thigpen article gave me more feedback than any piece other than my original NCAA March Madness Preview article. I received a few e-mails and passing comments, as well as an impassioned and educated e-mail from Erik Arnold that I felt the need to post, with my response (a note to Erik: your 40-man roster concern was irrelevant, as John Thompson was bumped to the 60-day DL to clear the spot). Today I write for a third time because J.P. Riccardi, a well known reader of this site, has taken my advice and called Thiggy up. Granted, it took a(nother) injury to a starter for it to happen, but it has, and my reputation as knowing shit about shit is now on the line. So here’s what I think about the call up.

Foremost, this move is about a month too late. Thigpen should have been called up to replace Zaun at some point during his time on the disabled list. Alas, better late than never, right?What I like most about this move is the number of lineup options it gives the Jays. Being a young, well-rounded athlete with a bright future, Curtis has the potential for greatness in a number of roles. Obviously, he’ll hit in a banjo spot in the batting order. However, his versatility and youth allow the Jays to experiment. He is foremost a back catcher, so there is obviously the opportunity of having Thigpen catch while Matt Stairs plays first base. When Stairs needs an off day (or Lind needs one, and Stairs moves to the outfield), Phillips can play first base while Thigpen catches. Additionally when off-days are apparent, Thigpen may be tried out at first base; someone with his athleticism is somewhat wasted at first (a bad place for a great athlete) but it as an option that improves his versatility down the line and lets him get some at-bats. I think we’ll also see Thigpen play first at times to keep Sal Fasano fresh behind the plate, as well as when facing lefties so that one of Matt Stairs and Adam Lind (both lefties) is removed from the lineup. A final note is that his being here could buy Zaun some time at first while his hand heals but his bat is useful.

Even more interesting than the first base/catcher scenarios are the options now available in the middle of the infield. Both on the major league roster and in the minors, the Jays have a severe lack of shortstop talent. Royce Clayton and John McDonald are both decent fielders but they both lack a bat in any sense of the term, and are both getting up there in age. Thigpen played four games at second base with Syracuse, which means it’s very likely that he could see a few innings there as well. Aaron Hill hasn’t had a day off yet this season so Thigpen is a much needed back up there. On top of that, Aaron Hill has played at shortstop before and is a huge upgrade there over our current shortstop crop (we’re deeper at second base with Thigpen and Adams, and a few other long term prospects). So what we could see is Thigpen playing second as part of a double-play combo with Hill which could be a long term situation at the position. It’s a long shot, but Thigpen may also get a look at short, since his arm would be useful there, but that’s usually a position you want some experience at.

I should point out here that the Jays have been strongly considering moving Thigpen out from behind the plate because of his elite athleticism and skill. While he is a great game caller, he has the range, speed, and arm to play the infield. Additionally, the Blue Jays also have two strong catching prospects in the wings in Erik Kratz (AAA, more likely a future back up) and Robinson Diaz (AA, a 2009 roster player if he continues his current path), with a number of strong catching prospects that should be available to them at 16 and 21 in the draft this week (not to mention our eight other Day 1 picks).

Thigpen will be with the team in about 15 minutes for the game but probably won’t see any playing time (Note: The Jays are using a Rios-Wells-Stairs top of the order tonight in a strange twist…nothing else is working offensively so why not?). In the next couple of days he will make his major league debut and will probably get every opportunity to succeed and get playing time, given the state of the lineup currently. There will be a strong desire to keep Thigpen fresh and get him a lot of experience during what will, in all likelihood, be a short stint in the majors. Regardless of his success (unless it is off the charts), Thigpen is probably out of here when Zaun returns. A great run could buy him some time until Overbay returns (with Fasano or Phillips heading down), and a fantastic run could keep him up permanently platooning with Zaun while Fasano and Phillips go down.

If you haven’t gathered it yet, I’m not convinced on what my 2007 prospect love affair’s role will be, how long he’ll be up here, or how successful he’ll be. I wouldn’t expect too much in the way of at-the-plate success, so give the same patience you’d give any rookie. The key things to look for to evaluate Thigpen will be his apparent comfort level, how he does calling games, how many positions he is capable of playing, and his rugged handsomeness (something the team is badly lacking right now). Enjoy the debut of a 2008 roster player.