JUSTIN THOMAS

1/18/84; '05 4th (Seattle); Youngstown State Univ.
L/L; 6-3, 225

Level	W-L-Sv	G	GS	IP	H	HR	BB	K	BB/9	K/9	WHIP	OAVG	ERA
2005 A- (Sea)	3-3-0	18	6	59.0	63	2	20	48	3.1	7.3	1.41	.272	3.81
2006 A+ (Sea)	9-4-0	17	17	105.1	108	10	45	111	3.8	9.5	1.45	.286	4.10
2006 A (Sea)	5-5-0	11	11	61.0	69	4	17	51	2.5	7.5	1.41	.269	3.10
2007 AA (Sea)	4-9-0	24	24	119.1	147	11	61	100	4.6	7.5	1.74	.308	5.51
2008 AL (Sea)	0-1-0	8	0	4.0	9	0	2	2	4.5	4.5	2.75	.474	6.75
2008 AAA (Sea)	2-1-1	7	1	17.0	15	2	9	21	4.8	11.1	1.41	.242	3.71
2008 AA (Sea)	7-7-0	25	17	118.2	116	11	56	106	4.2	8.0	1.45	.257	4.32
2009 AAA (Sea)	2-4-6	53	0	60.1	67	5	40	53	6.0	7.9	1.77	.276	4.48

The Pirates claimed Thomas off waivers shortly after the end of the 2009 season.  Thomas seems to have gotten by more on potential and left-handedness than performance.  Baseball America rated him Seattle's 23rd best prospect going into 2009—ahead of all three of the pitchers the Pirates acquired in the Jack Wilson trade—but Thomas has never truly had a good season in the minors.  He's never had a WHIP below 1.41, having generally given up a lot of hits and struggled increasingly with his control as he's moved up.  In contrast to many pitchers, he actually got much worse when he moved full-time to the bullpen in 2009.

Thomas has good velocity for a lefty, throwing 88-92 with what BA characterizes as good movement.  He relies very heavily on a slider, which may account for strong platoon splits throughout his career.  It also may account for the gradually increasing walk rates, as upper level hitters may be better at laying off sliders out of the strike zone.  The Pirates probably view him as a potential LOOGY.  They were hampered late in the 2009 season by the absence of a LH option out of their bullpen.  Judging from his 2009 showing, he's not ready for the majors, but he does have two options left.  The Pirates have a habit of claiming AL pitchers off waivers, which means they've cleared the entire league.  Of course, the AL is much stronger than the NL now, but you have to wonder how good a reliever can be if he's not claimed by a struggling team like the Royals or Orioles, or by a team with chronic bullpen problems like the Indians.  In any event, the Pirates designated Thomas for assignment shortly after they claimed him, to make room for players they wanted to protect from the Rule 5 draft.  He may clear waivers, in which case he'd be outrighted to Indianapolis.

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