The Twins and Jim Thome have agreed to a one year deal worth 1.5 million dollars, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The Twins have some options with Thome, but manager Ron Gardenhire is going to forced to mix-and-match his lineups to find the veteran left-hander some at-bats.
Here's Rotoworld's take on it:
The Twins have Jason Kubel firmly entrenched at DH and Justin Morneau at first base, so finding Thome playing time could be tricky. Adding a hitter of Thome's pedigree at this price was a no-brainer, however, and Ron Gardenhire won't lament the creativity it requires to get the veteran at-bats.
Moving Kubel into the outfield in lieu of Delmon Young while giving Thome the majority of DH at-bats against right-handers would give the team it's most dangerous lineup, but it's currently unclear if that will happen.
Thome won't become a trade deadline chip like last season, but he could play an integral role in helping the Twins reach the postseason... and at a very low price.