Benefits, risks of Thome deal 

November, 5, 2011
11/05/11
12:38
PM ET
By Jim Bowden | ESPN.com
Jim Thome, who hit a combined .256/.361/.477 with 16 doubles, 15 home runs and 50 RBIs in 93 games last season for the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Thome is expected to share playing time at first base with Ross Gload for the Phillies as their regular first baseman Ryan Howard recovers from surgery on his left Achilles' tendon.

Here's a look at the trade, why it could work out for the Phillies, and what could potentially go wrong:

How it benefits the Phillies


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Jim Bowden
Jim Bowden

Bowden, who served as the senior vice president and GM for the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, is an analyst for ESPN.com. In 1992, Bowden became the youngest GM in MLB history when the Reds hired him at age 31. The Reds finished in first place twice during his 10 years as GM, and he was named MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1999. After working for ESPN in 2004, Bowden became the first GM of the Washington Nationals when the franchise relocated from Montreal to Washington, D.C., in 2005, working in that role until the 2009 season. Bowden co-hosts the "Inside Pitch" radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio. Follow on Twitter: @JimBowdenESPNxm.

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