Thornton gone

My first thought when I saw the news the M's are getting Joe Borchard for Thornton was wow... what an amazing trade. The M's already have a strong bullpen, and Thornton is incredibly replaceable. The odds he becomes one of the top relievers in baseball is small, but the odds he costs the M's a game this year extremely high.

Just getting rid of Thornton alone is a good move. Actually getting value back makes this that much better of a trade. But there's more to the trade than just Borchard.

The other way this makes the M's better is watching Hargrove find a place to play him. With Borchard out of options, he is almost certain to make the team, especially if he keeps hitting like he has all spring.

That means a change is coming. Either the M's actually have a useful bench, or they don't carry so many relievers. Almost no one thinks carrying a surplus of relievers is good for a baseball team. Guys sit around too long between starts, and it's hard to evaluate players when they don't play regularly.

If Borchard does make the team, this means a Dobbs or Morse gets pushed out, which again makes the team stronger.

To summarize, this move is good because:
1) We get rid of Thornton
2) We get a talented player in Borchard (who might actually be good someday)
3) We push Hargrove to use his bench
4) We put pressure on eliminating the # of relievers

Not a bad way to start the week.