Twins send Thome home to Cleveland

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The Minnesota Twins say they've traded designated hitter Jim Thome to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for a player to be named later.

The Thursday trade reunites Thome with the team he broke in with and hit 334 home runs for over 12 seasons.

"It's a bittersweet deal," Twins General Manager Bill Smith told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, "but there's no question that this is the right thing to do for Jim Thome.

"He is all the superlative things we knew we were getting two years ago when he came here. At this point in his Hall of Fame career, this is the right thing for him."

As he heads back to Cleveland, Thome has 601 career homers, eighth on the all-time list.

In 179 games with the Twins, he hit 37 homers and drove in 99 runs.