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Free agent slugger Eric Thames is signing a minor league contract with the Oakland A’s, reports Susan Slusser of the S.F. Chronicle. The transaction is possible during the ongoing MLB lockout because it does not involve putting a player on the 40-man roster.
The 35-year-old Thames is a lefty batter with some major league success on his resume. He debuted in 2011 and played a couple years in the bigs, then moved to Korea and found his breakout there in the KBO, hitting 124 homers over three seasons and winning a league MVP award.