Orioles Acquire DH Jim Thome From The Phillies
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- The Baltimore Orioles have acquired Jim Thome as a designated hitter from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for two minor league players-- right-handed pitcher Kyle Simon and catcher Gabriel Lino.
Thome, 41, is a five-time All Star and is currently tied with Sammy Sosa for seventh place on the All Time Home Runs list with 609 home runs, and trails Barry Bonds (762) and Ken Griffey Jr. (630) among left-handed batters. He is second in home runs among active players behind Alex Rodriquez (642).
His 1,689 career runs batted in are 25th all-time and career OPS of .959 is 18th in Major League history.
The Orioles selected Simon, 21, in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft and was 2-8 with a 3.96 ERA in 14 starts for Class-A Frederick in 2012. The team signed Lino as a non-drafted free agent in 2009 and was batting .218 with four home runs and 18 RBI in 56 games for Class-A Delmarva.
Left-handed pitcher Zach Phillips has been designated for assignment to make room for Thome on the 40-man roster. In his only appearance in 2012, Phillips allowed two earned runs on three hits and two walks in two-thirds on an inning.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
