"Jim Thome was placed on trade waivers by the Minnesota Twins, and — wouldn't you know it? — the White Sox wouldseem to have a need for a productive, left-handed-hitting slugger, having received very little bang for their buck from Adam Dunn.

A source said the Sox were one of several teams putting a claim in for Thome, whose mere presence in the clubhouse would be a plus. It wouldn't hurt Dunn and those Sox who didn't play with Thome in 2006-09 to watch the future Hall of Famer approach his every-day job and the designated hitter role.

Manager Ozzie Guillen would love to have Thome back, although finding room could be an issue. And Thome hasn't been consistently healthy this season."