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Indians Acquire Jim Thome

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Jim Thome once helped the Indians reach six playoff berths in seven years. Now, after a nine-year absence from Cleveland, Thome is back and the Indians are hoping their all-time home run leader can help them pass the Tigers in the standings and reach the playoffs once again. 

Jim Thome

“Jim Thome is a Hall of Fame-caliber player and person. He has meant so much to this organization – both on and off the field – and it is an honor to bring him back in an Indians uniform where he created so many great memories," GM Chris Antonetti said in a statement. "Having his bat and presence in the middle of the lineup certainly improves our team"

Thome, the newest member of MLB's 600 homer club, accepted a deal to the Indians last night. The Indians announced that they'll send a player to be named later to the Twins on or before October 15th.

The veteran, who turns 41 in two days, had the right to reject any deal as he holds a no-trade clause. Reportedly, Thome's preference was to return to Philadelphia where he played from 2003 through 2005.

Thome's homecoming is much more than a feel good story for the Tribe. He's sure to see a lot of time at the DH spot with Travis Hafner on the disabled list and possibly out for the year.

Thome (pictured) is the Indians' all-time leader in home runs (334) and walks (997) and he is among the franchise's all-time leaders in RBI (2nd, 927), extra base hits (3rd, 613), on-base percentage (3rd, .414) and slugging percentage (3rd, .567).

Nick Camino of WTAM 110, Buster Olney of ESPN.com, Scott Miller of CBSSports.com and Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reported on the move last night. Photo courtesy Icon SMI. Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.

Waiver Notes: Thome, Kubel, Bell

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Earlier this evening the Indians worked out a deal with the Twins to bring Jim Thome back to the Tribe.  Here are some thoughts on the deal plus news on other waived players..

  • Tribe GM Chris Antonetti says that the Twins have "a relatively narrow list of players" to choose from by the October 15th deadline, tweets Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
  • The reason why the White Sox didn't block Thome from going to the Indians was that they had no playing time for him with Paul Konerko limited to DH, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) thinks that the White Sox should have put a claim in on Thome anyway.  After all, he points out, they claimed Jason Kubel for the same reason.
  • Speaking of Kubel, the Twins outfielder says that the rumors have weighed on him and he's looking forward to having a definite answer on the matter, according to the Associated Press.  Based on what White Sox GM Ken Williams said earlier today, it doesn't sound as though he'll be changing teams.
  • As of right now, it looks like a Heath Bell deal between the Padres and Giants isn't going to happen, tweets Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. There are no serious talks taking place, if there are any talks at all.

Indians Close To Deal For Jim Thome

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6:43pm: Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) hears that the Twins won't get in the way of a potential deal and the decision will ultimately be up to Thome.

6:16pm: No deal is completed yet and the Indians are hoping that Thome will accept a deal to Cleveland, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.

4:56pm: A deal to bring veteran slugger Jim Thome back to the Indians is nearly complete, according to Nick Camino of WTAM 1100 (via Twitter).  The Twins placed Thome on waivers on Monday afternoon and yesterday we learned that the Tribe had the winning claim.

Thome has a full no-trade clause and was said to have his eye on a return to Philadelphia, not Cleveland.  The Indians could surely benefit from a reunion with Thome as designated hitter Travis Hafner is on the disabled list with a strained right foot.

Thome, who will celebrate his 41st birthday on Saturday, belted 334 of his 601 career home runs with the Indians.

Joe Nathan Would Consider Trades

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Joe Nathan has been a member of the Twins’ bullpen since Minnesota traded for him late in 2003, but he’d consider moving on under the right circumstances. He told Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that he’d look at possible deals on a case by case basis.

"It's something I would consider," Nathan said, explaining that he’s intrigued by the possibility of pitching in a playoff race. "It's not something I would rule out." 

Nathan, 36, has ten and five rights, so he can block any trade. He has a 4.79 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 35 2/3 innings since returning from 2010 Tommy John surgery. The four-time All-Star earns $11.25MM this year and the Twins have a $12.5MM option for his services in 2012 ($2MM buyout). 

Given that over $4MM remains on Nathan's contract including the buyout, it seems likely that he would clear waivers if he hasn't already. He doesn't currently project as a ranked free agent, so draft pick compensation doesn't figure to be a factor for the Twins.

Indians, Twins In Trade Talks

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The Indians and Twins are engaged in trade talks, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Indians were awarded the claim on Jim Thome, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Thome has a full-no trade clause and would prefer to play for the Phillies, however. The Indians are hopeful of working out a deal for Thome, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. 

Thome, 40, played for the Indians from 1991-2002. The newest member of the 600 homer club now has a .248/.357/.485 line with 12 home runs in 238 plate appearances for Minnesota. Cleveland designated hitter Travis Hafner is on the disabled list with a strained right foot, so Thome could be a fit for the Indians, the team for which he hit his first 334 home runs.

Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.

Twins Place Jim Thome On Waivers

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WEDNESDAY, 9:14am: The White Sox were one of several teams putting in a claim for Thome, reports Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times.  ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that "there is a high expectation among executives that the White Sox will be awarded the claim."  For that to happen, Thome would have to get past the Orioles, Royals, Mariners, and Athletics.  That seems feasible, though it's possible one of the four would put in a claim with an eye on a potential draft pick.     

MONDAY, 2:15pm: The Twins placed designated hitter Jim Thome on trade waivers today, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Rosenthal says the Phillies want Thome back in their organization, but there's almost no chance the slugger gets to them.  Since the Phillies have the best record in the National League, the 28 other teams would have to pass on Thome first.

Thome, 40, is hitting .256/.365/.503 with 12 home runs in 230 plate appearances this year.  He cranked his 600th home run a week ago.  Now that Thome has reached the milestone, the Twins might be more inclined to trade him if he would like to join a playoff race.  Rosenthal notes that Thome has a full no-trade clause.  

Thome's salary should not pose a problem, as he has about $610K remaining plus incentives.  As of a week ago Thome wasn't too far from Type B status, so if he continues producing there could be a shot at a draft pick.  So there is the possibility that American League non-contenders could place claims.  If the Twins want to give Thome freedom to play for any team but don't mind getting nothing in return, they could release him, notes Rosenthal.

GM Candidate: Mike Radcliff

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MLBTR’s list of general manager candidates introduced 20 people who were identified by their peers as potential Major League GMs. We’re now going to bring you closer to the candidates with a series of pieces. Today the series continues with Twins executive Mike Radcliff.  

Joe Mauer

When Mike Radcliff joined the Major League scouting bureau in 1982, the best player he would ever draft hadn’t actually been born yet. And it wasn’t until 2001, after years as an area scout, cross checker and scouting director, that Radcliff actually selected Minnesota high schooler Joe Mauer (pictured) with the top pick in the nation over Mark Prior and Mark Teixeira.

Radcliff, who joined the Twins as an area scout in 1987, has worked for Minnesota ever since. He was the team’s scouting director from 1994-2007 before assuming his current role, vice president of player personnel.

The Twins’ roster features many players Radcliff selected in his 14 years as scouting director, including Michael Cuddyer (1997), Justin Morneau (1999), Jason Kubel (2000), Mauer (2001), Nick Blackburn (2001), Denard Span (2002), Scott Baker (2003), Glen Perkins (2004), Brian Duensing (2005), Kevin Slowey (2005), Danny Valencia (2006) and Ben Revere (2007). Former Twins such as A.J. Pierzynski (1994), Jesse Crain (2002) and Matt Garza (2005) are also products of his drafts.

Radcliff’s selections have helped Minnesota acquire a steady stream of affordable talent that has led the Twins to six division titles since 2002. He doesn't necessarily get much recognition outside of Minnesota, but his peers in the game consider him a GM candidate.

Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

AL Central Notes: Young, Francoeur, Thome, Indians

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Fresh off a weekend sweep of the Indians, the Tigers send Justin Verlander to the mound against the streaking Rays tonight. Here are links from the AL Central as Verlander looks to build on the Tigers' division lead and boost his Cy Young candidacy… 

  • Twins manager Ron Gardenhire admitted that Minnesota was likely going to non-tender outfielder Delmon Young after the season, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com (on Twitter). Instead, the Twins traded him to the Tigers.
  • In a detailed piece, Rany Jazayerli explains that he doesn't like the Jeff Francoeur extension for the Royals, even though there's a good chance it'll work out and it probably won't hurt the Royals terribly. 
  • Twins slugger Jim Thome has wanted to return to the Indians ever since he left Cleveland in 2002, according to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com (on Twitter). Thome hit waivers earlier today. 
  • MLB executives tell ESPN.com's Buster Olney that if the Twins gave a valued player like Thome away for nothing, it would draw major scrutiny (Twitter links). For example, there would be loud protests if the Twins released Thome so that he could sign with the Phillies or another team of his choice. 
  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti and manager Manny Acta both acknowledged to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that their high profile summer acquisition, Ubaldo Jimenez, needs to make mechanical adjustments and modify his pitch sequencing (Twitter link).

Heath Bell, Carlos Pena, Kubel Placed On Waivers

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Heath Bell, Jason Kubel, and Carlos Pena were placed on trade waivers today, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Rosenthal tweeted earlier about Jim Thome being placed, also.  The placement on waivers starts a 48 hour period during which teams can put in claims.  Hundreds of players are placed on waivers in August, but these four are notable because they do appear to be trade candidates.

Bell, the Padres' closer, sports a 2.60 ERA, 6.6 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 0.35 HR/9, and 42.9% groundball rate in 52 innings this year.  That's a big dropoff from his typical strikeout rate.  The 33-year-old has $1.5MM left on his contract.  He projects as a Type A free agent, but has said he'd accept arbitration if the Padres offer.  Owner Jeff Moorad said this month that Bell accepting arbitration would be preferable in some ways, but if the Padres aren't actually interested in a potential eight-figure one-year deal for Bell, they've got two days to move him. Dan Mennella took a look at the fantasy impact of the move at CloserNews.

Kubel, 29, is hitting .295/.350/.456 in 326 plate appearances for the Twins, playing right field and DH.  The left-handed hitter has about $1MM plus incentives left on his contract and currently profiles as a Type B free agent in the American League.  He earns more than Thome, but not so much that we can rule out a team claiming him mostly for the draft pick.

Pena, 33, is hitting .222/.342/.455 with 23 home runs in 480 plate appearances this year for the Cubs.  Though he projects as a Type B, teams might be reluctant to offer arbitration given his salary.  He's owed about $1MM for the rest of the year, and the Cubs will be on the hook for a deferred $5MM in January even if they trade him.

Two players who will not be traded this month: Oakland's Rich Harden and Coco Crisp, who were claimed on waivers but pulled back according to this report yesterday from Rosenthal.  Today, ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Indians won the claim on Harden, but could not work out a deal.

NL East Links: Phillies, Thome, Mets, Pelfrey

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There's not much drama left in the NL East race, where the Phillies hold a seven and a half game lead over the Braves, not to mention a lead of at least 21 games over everyone else. But that doesn't mean there's not still a little hot stove chatter going on in the division. Let's check out Sunday's NL East links, with a focus on the Phils and Mets….

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