The Thames deal and wondering if Carter may impact Trumbo

The Orioles are known to check the Korean Baseball Organization for potential fits on their pitching staff and in their lineup, but they passed on outfielder Eric Thames, who signed a three-year deal with the Brewers.

Let's go over this again. Eric Thames received a three-year deal from a major league team that includes an option for a fourth season and reportedly is worth $16 million guaranteed after posting a .250/.296/.431 slash line in 181 career games with the Blue Jays and Mariners.

The contract also includes the stipulation that Thames can't be sent to the minors without his permission.

This is the same Eric Thames who played 36 games at Triple-A Norfolk in 2013 and batted .252/.315/.356 before the Astros claimed him off waivers and released him three months later.

The Brewers are putting all of their eggs in the KBO basket.

Thames batted .348/.450/.720, hit 124 home runs and drove in 379 runs in three seasons with the NC Dinos. Now comes his reward, and it's a doozy.

I'm betting that Thames is more surprised than anyone. I hope he was sitting down when his agent presented the Brewers' offer.

You're a true fan if you remember how Thames wound up in the Orioles organization. They acquired him from the Mariners on June 30, 2013 for infielder Ty Kelly. The presses came to a screeching halt. I can still smell the fumes.

The story of Thames' arrival in Milwaukee is more intriguing when coupled with the Brewers' decision to designate Chris Carter for assignment. Carter hit 41 home runs this season and MLBTradeRumors.com projected that he'd receive $8.1 million in arbitration.

Carter has another year of arbitration eligibility beyond 2017. He's a proven power hitter. But he's a career .218 hitter in seven seasons, led the majors in strikeouts in 2013 with 212 and led the National League this year with 206.

I'm wondering whether Carter's availability impacts Mark Trumbo's market in free agency. A team infatuated with home runs and willing to accept deficiencies in other areas could jump at Carter, who won't bring the same cost and commitment. Remember that Trumbo turned down the qualifying offer and has a draft pick attached to him.

This article on MLB.com makes an interesting comparison between Trumbo and Carter and questions why the former is deemed more desirable and deserving of a long-term deal. Trumbo's got him in average from 2013-16, but not in on-base percentage or home runs, and they're tied in slugging percentage.

Would the Orioles be interested in Carter as a potential replacement for Trumbo? At least admit that the thought crossed your mind the instant that you heard he was designated for assignment.

Carter would be viewed as a designated hitter, the same role the Orioles would like for Trumbo to fill on most nights. He'd also be viewed as the guy with the career .218 average and strikeout totals rivaling the ones posted by Chris Davis.

Davis led the majors with 219 strikeouts this season. Carter ranked second. Carter was fifth in the majors in 2014 with 182 over 145 games. Davis was tied for sixth with 173 in 127 games. Davis was runner-up to Carter in 2013 with 199.

It sounds like a broken record, but the Orioles want to improve their on-base capabilities. They also want to maintain power throughout their lineup and add a left-handed bat.

Carter would satisfy one of those goals.

In case you somehow missed it, the Mets re-signed outfielder Yoenis Cespedes for $110 million over four years, the richest contract in club history for a free agent. His annual average salary of $27.5 million is the second-largest in baseball history for a position player behind Miguel Cabrera's $31 million.

I can cross one name off the list of players who will be linked to the Orioles at the Winter Meetings. There's no way that the Orioles were going to give Cespedes or anyone else that kind of money, but you can bet that someone would have reported their interest next week.

Jon Jay was a more realistic target, but he reached agreement with the Cubs on a one-year deal worth $8 million.

Jay is a left-handed hitter who owns a career .352 on-base percentage in seven seasons and plays all three outfield positions. He doesn't offer much power, but the Orioles aren't hurting for it.

It seems more likely now that the Cubs have moved on from Dexter Fowler. Then again, fool me once ...