Phillies trade Jim Thome to the Orioles

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies have traded Jim Thome for the second time, shipping him off to the Orioles this time.  The deal will be officially announced following the game today but don't expect the Phillies to get much in return as this deal was about getting Thome to an AL team where he could get consistent at-bats.

With Ryan Howard missing at least half of the season, the Thome signing in the offseason made sense if he could step in and play first base.  When his back didn't prove up to the task, Thome was left to waste away on the Phillies bench once interleague play in the American League parks ended.  Given how ineffective he was as a pinch-hitter yet how dominant he was as DH, Thome will be a nice piece for the Orioles and should be a big contributor when he gets consistent at-bats.

It is unfortunate that Thome's second stint with the Phillies wasn't nearly as memorable as his first due to a faulty back.  He still has a few good swings left so its nice to see him back in the American League where he belongs.

Update: The Phillies got single-A pitcher Kyle Simon and catcher Gabriel Lino in the deal.

Jim Thome is back with the Phillies!

With Ryan Howard likely out for the beginning of the 2012 season, the man that was sent packing when Howard took over at first base has been brought back to Philadelphia: the Phillies have agreed to sign Jim Thome to a one year deal worth 1.25 million, pending a physical.

Besides the awesome nostalgia we will all feel seeing Thome back in a Phillie uniform, the move makes a ton of sense for the Phils.  With Howard out an indefinite amount of time, Thome can possibly step in and be a part of a first base platoon with John Mayberry.  Given that he hasn't played in the field since 2007, Thome can't be expected to play in the field every day but I'm sure he could be used occasionally.  At the very least, Thome, who hit 15 home runs last season with the Indians and Twins, will be a tremendous power asset off the bench.

Given his relationship with Charlie Manuel, Ryan Howard's injury and the Phillies need for a bench bat, this is a no-brainer signing.  I can't wait to see Big Jim crush a few postseason home runs at Citizens Bank.

Dodgers acquire Thome, Garland for postseason run

In a late August splash, the team with the best record in the National League acquired a slugger we are all familiar with in Philadelphia: Jim Thome. Thome, who is a shell of his former self, was traded from the White Sox to the Dodgers on the final day that players can be added and still be eligible for the postseason roster. Thome, who was tradable because he cleared waivers, is basically just an all-or-nothing, strike out-or-home run hitter now, slugging 23 homers with the Sox while batting .249 with 116 strikeouts in 345 at bats.

While the Dodgers have now added some pop to their lineup, the odd thing about the trade is the fact that Thome really has no position. Thome has played only 4 games at 1st base in the last four years with Chicago, basically making him exclusively a DH. His defense is atrocious at 1st base and the Dodgers already have James Loney at that position, so where is he supposed to play? Perhaps Thome is now the Dodgers version of Matt Stairs, a lefty power bat that will swing for the fences once every game.

The Dodgers also added former Diamondback Jon Garland on Monday. Garland is hardly a difference-maker, with his 8-11 record and 4.29 ERA, but he figures to give the Dodgers some rotation depth.

While neither Thome or Garland are significant enough additions to swing the entire National League, things just got a little tougher for the Phillies in their quest to return to the World Series. While the Phils are still the best team overall in the NL, the Dodgers did everything in their power on Monday to try to close the gap. Time will tell if it was enough.