If Gardy ever had the jam to punt Butera in favour of Escobar then I think I'd be ok with Thome being a bench bat, why not? I don't get the Colobello thing, nice story and everything but seriously, he's going to become a reliable, part time bench bat without ever seeing major league pitching before? He is 29, it's not like they'd be missing out on anything. Benson is intriguing but if he doesn't get the starting CF job over Hicks, I think he's better off in Rochester getting reps than being a fourth OF/ bench bat, for development purposes or if they ultimately decide to move him for some pitching.