"When Jim Thome left the Indians to sign with a Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent, he asked a reporter if he thought the Tribe would let him come back in a few years.

It took more than a few — nine to be precise — but Thome is returning, maybe as soon as tonight. The Indians put in a waiver claim for Thome, then made a deal with the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night to acquire him for a player to be named on or before Oct. 15.

"Jim Thome is a hall of fame-caliber player and person," Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti in announcing the trade Thursday night.

The acquisition of Thome, who will be 41 on Saturday, makes sense in the wake of a foot injury to designated hitter Travis Hafner.

"We had some preliminary conversations with the Twins before Hafner got hurt," Antonetti said. "Once Travis got hurt, Jim became more of a clear fit for us.""