Brewers by position: Eric Thames has something to prove at first base

PHOENIX – Eric Thames is well aware that the Milwaukee Brewers’ decision-makers are sticking their collective necks out for him.

When you cut loose the reigning National League home run co-champion to sign a player who set the baseball world on fire in Korea but is unproven at the major-league level, there is definite risk involved.

“I’m very thankful to them for putting themselves out there on the line like that,” said Thames, who signed a three-year, $16 million deal in November to be the Brewers’ first baseman.

“I’m taking this very seriously. It’s not like, ‘OK, I got paid. Now, I’m just going to hang out. I want to win. These guys want to win, too.”

How much winning the rebuilding Brewers do in 2017 will depend partially on the productivity of Thames. He is replacing slugger Chris Carter, who smashed 41 home runs last season but was cut loose in large part over fears of a sizable salary boost through arbitration.

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Thames, 30, had across-the-board eye-popping numbers in Korea, batting .348 over three seasons with a 1.171 OPS, 124 home runs, 379 runs batted in, .450 on-base percentage and 64 stolen bases. If he comes within shouting distances of those numbers with the Brewers, he will be the steal of the off-season.

Before heading to Korea, Thames made little impact in limited action with Toronto and Seattle, batting .250 with a .727 OPS over 181 games, with 21 homers and 62 RBI. But the Brewers, who scouted him exclusively through videos of his games with the NC Dinos, believe he made adjustments at the plate that put him in a constant groove.

“I think he’s in that sweet spot of his career where his experience and talent match up,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Going to Korea and now coming back to the States is a great source of motivation for him.  He’s got something to prove.

“The first time here didn’t go well for him. But he made some adjustments and figured some things out, and got better. The best thing about Eric is where he’s at in his career. I think he’s in a good spot to have success.”

The left-handed-hitting Thames was an outfielder during his first stint in the majors but shifted to first base in Korea. He is only 6 feet tall but has the physique of a bodybuilder and the bubbling personality of an entertainer.

Thames is grateful for the opportunity he got overseas to draw the attention of big-league clubs but already is loving life in the Brewers’ spring training camp at Maryvale Baseball Park. In Korea, he had little interaction, in part because of the language barrier but also because there was no real clubhouse life. Players dressed in hotel rooms before games and traveled to ballparks on buses then returned immediately after games.

“It’s nice to be able to interact with my teammates,” said Thames, who currently sports a substantial beard. “I can play cards, talk to the guys and just hang out. I had forgotten what that was like. I have to get used to talking to guys again in the clubhouse.

“It was different over there. There were no weight rooms or clubhouses. You used the hotels. There were no batting cages. It was crazy. That’s just the way they do it. I enjoyed my time in Korea but it’s nice to speak English.”

Thames did most of his talking in Korea with his bat, claiming MVP honors in his second season there. He isn’t about to suggest the pitchers there were major-league quality, but you did have to show up with a game plan to succeed.

“Guys don’t throw as hard there but they locate their off-speed stuff really well,” he said. “Then, they try to sneak a fastball by you. So, it’s a lot different. I learned how to be patient. I was going to get myself out unless I made an adjustment.”

In the event Thames scuffles against lefties, the Brewers picked up a right-handed hitting option in Jesús Aguilar, who spent most of the last three seasons at the Class AAA level with Cleveland, where he was a prolific home-run hitter. But this is Thames’ job to lose, and he will be given a long leash.

“He’s got a fascinating story,” Counsell said. “I think he’s going to be a player the fans love. He’s very engaging; fun to talk to. I think the beard just adds to the personality and his fun nature.”

Thames knows what’s at stake here. He’s being given a chance he could never have envisioned upon departing for Korea three years ago. Make good now and it will have been worth the journey. Fail and be known as a one-country wonder.

“I’m blessed to be in this position,” he said. “I’m not going to say what my goals are, but I have my approach and work ethic, and we’ll see what happens. I’ve worked very hard for his. I want to let the fans know I’m for real.”

BY THE NUMBERS

1.171On-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) by Eric Thames over three seasons in Korea.

.804 OPS by Brewers first basemen over the 2016 season.

.727 OPS by Thames in 181 games in the major leagues.

160 Games played in ’16 by Chris Carter, tied for most in the National League.

96 RBI by Brewers first baseman last season, sixth in the NL.