Designated hitter Jim Thome has been traded to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for a player to be named later, a Twins official has confirmed. The deal takes Thome away from the 55-75 Twins and up to the fringes of the American League Central race. Cleveland. at 63-64, is 61/2 games behind first-place Detroit in the division race.
UPDATE:The Twins have now released a statement announcing the deal.
The Indians need offense, with designated hitter Travis Hafner's season in danger because of a strained tendon in his right foot. Thome, who turns 41 on Saturday, can step right into Cleveland's everyday lineup.
Thome returns to the team he broke in with and slugged 334 home runs over 12 seasons.
Armed with a no-trade clause in his $3 million contract, Thome had the power to veto any deal he didn't like.
There was speculation that Thome would veto any deal and force the Twins to release him, where he could turn down more attempts to claim him so he could eventually sign with the Phillies, a near lock to make the playoffs. Instead, he heads back to Cleveland, where he was on Tribe teams that lost the World Series in 1995 and 1997.
As soon as Thome hit home run No. 600 on Aug. 15 in Detroit, speculation started on if Thome would be traded. Thome spoke highly of his time with the Twins, but also pointed out that his career might not be complete without a World Series title - or at least a shot at one.
With the Twins far out of the picture, Thome's days here seemed to be numbered.
