AL Central Nine Biggest Offseason Acquisitions #6 By Dane Moore

6. Jim Thome DH- Minnesota Twins

Jim Thome signed one-year, incentive-laden deal worth $1.5 million and includes up to $750,000 in incentives. Any day Ron Gardenhire permits as a rest day to Delmon Young, Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau or Jason Kubel will result in a corresponding Thome addition to the starting lineup. Thome’s produced in 2009 through 107 games. For the White Sox he had 345 at bats, hitting .249, with 23 home runs, 74 RBI's and had a .372 OBP (on base percentage). Prior to the signing, Delmon Young was anticipated to bat in the six hole. Young played in 108 games with 395 at bats, similar to Thome. However, in 2009 Young had an OBP 64 points lower, hitting 11 less home runs and 14 less RBI's.

The Thome deal should work and I see him being productive at the plate and having a positive influence in the dugout. However, I feel as though the Twins may have been focusing their assets in a department that is not one of their primary needs. Getting a player to share time with Span, Cuddyer, Morneau, and Kubel was not a necessity. Young is not proven and it will be benefitial for the Twins to have a proven player in Thome to spell Delmon.

I personally would have like to the see the Twins go after Garret Atkins who signed with the Baltimore Orioles for one-year at $4 million dollars. Yes, that 4 million is double what Thome will make but I feel that Atkins who hit well over .300 from 2006 to 2008 with 85 homeruns and 331 RBI’s would have been a significantly better option. Not to mention Atkins ability to be a longer term option. Had the Minnesota passed on Clay Condrey, who the Twins acquired in free agency from the Philadelphia Phillies, would have freed up more cash. Or simply letting arbitrated Carl Pavano, who will make $7 million, walk this offseason would have made Thome AND Atkins an option. All this said I think Thome will be successful at a relatively inexpensive price for the Minnesota Twins in 2010.