Aaron Thompson

Aaron Marshall Thompson

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 3", Weight 195 lb.
• High School Second Baptist High School
• Debut August 24, 2011
• Final Game July 5, 2015
• Born February 28, 1987 in Beaumont, TX USA

BR page

Biographical Information

As a senior at Second Baptist High School, pitcher Aaron Thompson was 8-3 with a 0.84 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 14 games. He was selected by the Florida Marlins in the first round of the 2005 amateur draft. He was signed by scout Dennis Cardoza and made his pro debut that year with the GCL Marlins, going 2-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 8 starts before being promoted in August to the the Jamestown Jammers, for whom he went 1-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 5 starts. He spent the entire 2006 campaign with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, posting an 8-8 record and 3.63 ERA in 24 starts and earning a spot on the South Atlantic League All-Star team. He played for the Jupiter Hammerheads in 2007, going 4-6 with a 3.37 ERA in 20 appearances.

Thompson became stuck on a treadmill after that promising start, spending the next three seasons principally at AA with only a few games at AAA. In 2008, his record was 2-5, 5.26 in 18 games in a season shortened by injury. In 2009, he was 5-12, 3.93 with two different AA teams after being sent to the Washington Nationals in a mid-season deal for Nick Johnson. In 2010, he went 4-13, 5.80 for the Harrisburg Senators, making one appearance with the AAA Syracuse Chiefs. Moving to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization after being claimed off waivers, he was with the Altoona Curve in 2011, going 4-7, 5.16 in 28 games as a swingman. He caught a break however as the AAA Indianapolis Indians needed an extra arm in August, and he pitched well enough in three appearances, giving up 1 run in 11 2/3 innings, to be the pitcher called up when the Pirates needed a spot start on August 24, 2011. He pitched fairly well in his major league debut facing the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers, keeping his opponents off the scoresheet for 4 1/3 innings, giving way to Jason Grilli with a 2-0 lead and two men on. Grilli got out of the jam and earned the win as the early score held up until the end.

On March 27, 2012, he was suspended for 50 games for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Treatment and Prevention Program.

Related Sites

• Aaron Thompson on mlb.com