THOME GOES TO SWEET HOME CHICAGO
The Chicago White Sox acquired first baseman/DH Jim Thome and cash from the Philadelphia Phillies for outfielder Aaron Rowand, pitcher Daniel Haigwood and a player to be named later.
What does it give the Chicago White Sox
With Paul Konerko potentially leaving via free agency, Thome gives them a strong, though older, replacement at first base. The veteran left-handed slugger missed a good chunk of 2005 with an elbow injury, but is expected to return at full strength in the spring. He's plenty familiar with the AL Central, having spent most of his career with the rival Cleveland Indians. And they get the 35-year-old Illinois native at a discounted rate, as the Phillies will pay a good deal of the $44.5 million remaining on his contract over the next three seasons.
What does it give the Philadelphia Phillies
There's no denying the primary motivation for this trade was to make room to give recently-crowned Rookie of the Year Ryan Howard a regular spot at first base. That's why the Phillies are prepared to pay so much money to get rid of Thome. But in the process new GM Pat Gillick did land his club a solid center-fielder in Rowand, which fills a need. The 28-year-old is no all-star, but he is an excellent defensive outfielder and a well-rounded hitter, with a consistent bat, a little pop and a little speed on the bases. He'll surely get most of the starts in center, while Jason Michaels gets the odd start as well. Gillick also brought to the organization two promising southpaws. Haigwood is a Double-A starter who is a consistent winner in the minors with a great curveball. The player to be named is expected to be Giovany Gonzalez, who is a similar pitcher, with a tight curve that leads a deep, well-controlled arsenal. Gonzalez may be the more promising of the two, though he may be a year or two further away than Haigwood, who could pop up late in 2006 or early 2007.
Fantasy impact
