After much speculation on whether or not the Minnesota Twins would bring back designated hitter Jim Thome for a second season, it appears that a resolution has finally been reached.
ESPN.com’s Buster Olney is reporting that the Twins and Thome have agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $3 million.
The deal is far less than some (myself included) had thought it would cost to retain Thome after his productive campaign in 2010 yielded a .283 batting average with 25 homers and 59 RBI in 276 at-bats.
With the increased interest from teams such as the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, it was thought that Thome’s price would surge beyond what the Twins were willing to offer the 40 year old.
Thome did achieve a certain bond with his new team in 2010, emerging as a clubhouse leader and mentor to many of the young Twins.
The deal comes amidst news that the team has also shown interest in free agent Manny Ramirez. With this move it appears that the team will pass on Ramirez. However, there is still speculation that the team would like to have a powerful right-handed bat available and may still consider additional options.
The most obvious next step for the Twins would be to agree to terms with free agent pitcher Carl Pavano, whom the team has been in talks with for months.
It was anticipated that a deal for Pavano would have been completed by now, but with the emergence of interest in Thome from other teams, it appears that the Twins were forced to divert attention towards locking down their slugger for another year.
The deal comes as welcomed news to Twins fans, who have been forced to wonder whether or not the team would be making moves to keep pace with the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers, as both teams have spent much of the offseason revamping their lineups in an effort to overtake the Twins for the AL Central crown in 2011.
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