The Case for a Journeyman: Scott Thorman

He's what you call a journeyman. And baseball is full of guys like him.

What are we supposed to make of the Scott Thormans of the baseball world? Thorman certainly looks impressive when considering his current minor league stats for the AAA Omaha Royals. Thorman certainly looks unimpressive when considering his major league career to this point -- a disappointing two seasons spent with the Braves in 2006-07. The answer is really impossible to say -- that is, until Thorman gets himself another chance.

But isn't that the beauty of baseball? It's a game of constant adjustments, and players are nearly always refining their techniques -- holding the bat differently, squaring your shoulders a bit more, choking up on the bat, changing your routine between swings. Baseball is a game of feel and certainly Thorman feels much differently than he did four years ago, right?

Some of you might wonder why we should even care. But consider the numbers so far. Thorman's currently hitting .281 with 14 home runs, a total that leads the team. He also has 21 doubles and is slugging at a .522 clip, a number the current Royals squad could certainly use, even as a pinch hitter. He's a former first-round pick of the Braves and certainly merits a look at the major league level.

The question is: who would he replace? The current roster could certainly use an infusion of power. Jose Guillen has the DH spot locked up to justify his contract if nothing else. Thorman would be a cheap replacement there in case KC can somehow unload his deal before the trade deadline. Yet it's also surprising to see a guy like Scott Podsednik taking valuable at bats from the LF position, even if he's hitting fairly decently. The overall OPS is still abysmal for that position at .719 (as of press time).

Of course, the same could be said of keeping Alex Gordon and Kila Ka'aihue locked in the minors as well. The only thing is that those guys aren't considered "former" prospects and can avoid the journeyman tag for now. My take is that both guys, along with Thorman, deserve a chance in the major league lineup to see what the Royals currently have. The currently known commodities aren't all that impressive anyway.