Blue Jays tell Thomas to beat it

The news out of Toronto this morning is that designated hitter Frank Thomas, who as recently as yesterday was complaining about his playing time, has been released.

According to MLB.com:

The 39-year-old slugger was told Saturday that he would lose playing time after a slow start in which he batted .167 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 16 games.

"Basically, I've been told that I'm not going to be in that lineup," Thomas said Saturday. "[Manager John Gibbons] told me that this morning. I see it as something else is going on. We'll see how that plays out.

"You know what's going on and I know what's going on. We'll see how it plays out. I'm just a little frustrated right now. There are some things going on around here this year that I haven't been happy about."

The story also alludes to a contract stipulation that Thomas sees another 300 at-bats to lock in his paycheck for next year.

Regardless, this opens a new option for AL teams looking for a stopgap DH and missed on Thomas the last time around. At the very least, it adds another name to the list for teams who were taking a look at Barry Bonds but were scared away by the baggage that comes along with that deal.

Well, unless you're worried about the whole pillow fight controversy.

(Image from: Deadspin.com)